if "no" isn't an acceptable answer, then the person wasn't actually asking you a question - they were giving you an order
This whole post made me smile, but this little gem in particular.... ooo, I got shivers. I never looked at it that way before. How often do we do things because we are conditioned to say yes or because we feel the guilt pulling us into doing what we don't want to. I've taken this to heart and will do some thinking about my own life and how it applies.
I like how you are changing the paradigm by not mowing your property. You've got your neighbor wondering why he's spending so much time on his mower. lol.
How nice that you moved to a space that made more sense for you and how you want to live. I've been considering moving to a property in a more rural area for awhile. The HOA fees for maintenance that I don't actually care about, the noise pollution that it brings as they trim trees and then use blowers for the debris. I've been looking at the idea of building my own place on the land of my choosing for the exact reasons that you are mentioning- because it is more important for my well-being to spend on what I actually want, what will bring me more satisfaction.
(Now, if you want a lawn and hate mowing - that's an excellent time to hire someone else to do it. That is, literally, the only type of happiness that money CAN buy.
https://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-money-time-happiness-20170724-story.html )
What I spend my money on that "buys my happiness" is grocery delivery. I used to enjoy going to the store but I began to feel that it was causing me a lot of stress. I no longer "enjoy" spending time in traffic and long lines, all the noise, all the people. Yeah, I couldn't do it anymore. I find myself spending more time at home- writing, gardening- enjoying my life instead. There are downsides to having groceries delivered but right now my sanity had to come first.
(As a side note: One of the chores I had growing up was to clean the bathroom. I hated cleaning the toilet. I could never get it clean enough to meet the high standards. So, I used to take my allowance and paid someone else to do it for me. Guess I was onto this for awhile.
Lately, I've been focusing on "leaning into" discomfort. I used to avoid being uncomfortable. I would do anything to stop the feeling or avoid it. What I've realized is that where there is discomfort, there is opportunity for growth. There are so many things in life that might feel awkward or uncomfortable simply because we aren't used to them. So, I allow myself to explore whatever the topic or issue is without trying to immediately change it.
For example, with being poly. I used to hide from my feelings. I didn't want my relationship to change. I didn't want the reality as I knew it to change. So, I'd tuck away those uncomfortable feelings and tell myself I didn't need to explore it further. But now I stay open. I recognize that I feel uncomfortable and then explore what does it mean to be polyamorous. Maybe I find an article, a website, a book. I learn more. I pay attention to how that feels as I learn more. Then it stops feeling uncomfortable.
Hope you having a beautiful day, enjoying your perfectly unmown lawn.
~CS