Saying "no" is empowering and allows you to be in control of your life without trying to please other people. So why is it so hard to say no? Saying no takes some practice, so start noticing when you're fearful to say no and practice saying "no" in the mirror to get more comfortable with those words. When saying no, make it clear that you are saying no to the request, not to the individual. Don't feel obligated to commit to something on the spot. Say, "Can I have a moment to think this decision over and get back to you?" If someone is being pushy, be just as resolute at saying no. Say, "I know you won't give up easily, but I am not going to change my mind." Know that people ask you for favors or to do projects because they believe in you. Always say "thank you for thinking of me", even when you politely decline. You may continue to have this person in your life because there's some benefit in it for you. This person may be a romantic partner whom you live with or share finances, or you may need that person to boost you up when you feel down. You may feel fearful of this person leaving you and have a fear of abandonment, even if you're unhappy in the relationship. Ask yourself what benefits you receive from the relationship, whether they be physical (companionship, monetary needs, sex), emotional (someone to talk to, a sense of belonging), and related to feeling dependent. Ask yourself, "Is this relationship fair to this person? Is it fair to me?" If you have fears of abandonment, do some inner work and resolve the trauma of abandonment. You can also Find a Therapist. You may need to discuss appropriate boundaries with this person. Decide what boundaries you want to enforce, and ask yourself how each boundary will benefit you and the relationship. Thinking of the benefits will help you commit to keeping the boundary and not feel guilty about enforcing it. Affirm each boundary with positive statements. "Even though this person may be unhappy with this boundary, I have the right to decide how to spend my time, energy, and resources." You may be with a partner who always wants to hear that she is beautiful, that you love her, and that you only have eyes for him. If you're not emotionally open or ready for that kind of relationship, let him or her know. Say, "I am not in a position to give you all of the things you want." Remember that you have control over your life. If someone drains you, it's time to create some boundaries.

Summary: Learn to say "no". Don't engage in dependent relationships. Create boundaries.

" If the reply is something like "Okay, I guess" or "Pretty normal," you could ask what they thought of the homework, the science experiment you did, the geography project you've been assigned, the book report due in next week or the exams that are coming up soon. If you're texting your crush just before Christmas or right before their birthday, then ask your crush about the plans they have for celebrating. If you're texting the person just after a holiday, send a text that says, "Hey, did you have a good birthday? Get anything special?" Learn about holidays that you don't celebrate. For example, if your crush celebrates Hanukkah while you celebrate Christmas, ask questions to learn what their holiday is about. Text your crush around New Year's Day and ask if the person made any New Year's resolutions. Share your resolutions back. Your crush could be complaining about a sibling, or maybe your crush has an older sibling who is headed off to college. If you have siblings yourself, say something like, "I can relate to the problems you're having with your sister. My sister drives me crazy." You can also ask questions about parents or even about pets. If your crush is on the tennis team, ask how their latest match went. If your crush has other interests like band, school newspaper or academic extracurriculars, then ask what he or she has been up to lately in some of these activities. Has your crush recently been in a competition of some sort? Was the person on a winning quiz bowl team or did he or she get a part in the school play? Text the person to say "Congratulations." Maybe your crush had a bad exam grade, lost an important game or experienced something really sad, like the death of a pet or family member. Send the person a text saying something like, "I'm so sorry to hear what happened. How are you holding up?"

Summary: Text your crush and ask, "What did you think of school today? Use holidays and celebrations as conversation starters. Ask questions about their family. Talk to your crush about their hobbies. Text something sympathetic.

The present indicative is almost always the first verb form you will learn when studying Spanish. It is used to talk about current actions. In the case of leer, the present indicative is used to refer to the act of reading when that act is presently going on. Example: "She is reading the novel," Ella lee la novela. yo: leo tu: lees el/ella/usted: lee nosotros/-as: leemos vosotros/-as: leeis ellos/ellas/ustedes: leen Use the preterit indicative to refer to the act of reading when that act has concretely happened in the past and has since come to a clear end and is no longer being performed. The verb leer is irregular in the preterit indicative. Example: "I read that novel last month," Lei esa novela el mes pasado. yo: lei tu: leiste el/ella/usted: leyo nosotros/-as: leimos vosotros/-as: leisteis ellos/ellas/ustedes: leyeron The conditional indicative is used to describe an act of reading that would be done at some point in the future as long as another condition or circumstance ends up being true. Example: "In that case, Pablo would read Hemingway's novel," En ese caso, Pablo leeria la novela de Hemingway. yo: leeria tu: leerias el/ella/usted: leeria nosotros/-as: leeriamos vosotros/-as: leeriais ellos/ellas/ustedes: leerian
Summary: Use the present indicative. Conjugate leer in the preterit indicative. Switch to the conditional indicative.