In 2.5 pages in The Practice, Seth Godin explains how to strike a balance between saying “yes” and “no” to focus on the change we seek to make, the generous work of making our own contribution.

But beware. He says:

It’s easy for a self-focus to turn selfish. Saying no too often is a recipe for solipsism, a form of egomania that is just as selfish as the one we were trying to walk away from. Out of balance, a self-trusting no at all costs becomes yet another way to hide.