“It’s impossible to keep raising the price,” he said.

Residents watch the annual Hillbrow street parade organized by the Windybrow Arts Centre and other local organisations go by in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)Residents watch the annual Hillbrow street parade organized by the Windybrow Arts Centre and other local organizations go by in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Residents watch the annual Hillbrow street parade organized by the Windybrow Arts Centre and other local organizations go by in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)Children participate in the annual Hillbrow street parade organized by the Windybrow Arts Centre and other local organisations in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)Children participate in the annual Hillbrow street parade organized by the Windybrow Arts Centre and other local organisations in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Residents watch the annual Hillbrow street parade organized by the Windybrow Arts Centre and other local organisations go by in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)Residents watch the annual Hillbrow street parade organized by the Windybrow Arts Centre and other local organisations go by in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

People participate in the annual Hillbrow street parade organized by the Windybrow Arts Centre and other local organisations in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

People participate in the annual Hillbrow street parade organized by the Windybrow Arts Centre and other local organisations in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)She practices saying “no” in her head and in her journal, where she also chronicles what happened after she said it. She’s gained time to visit museums, friends and the theater.

“No changed my life,” Perkins said. “I am a different person than I was before I really learned to embrace no.”Have you overcome an obstacle or made a profound change in your work? Send your questions and story ideas to

. Follow AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health atfor a while now. They may be where we work, they are certainly where we play, and in today’s stress-filled world, they’re often the place where we feel most at peace.