The Art of Assertion – How to Stand Up for Yourself

Your buddy from college continues to badger you about when you’re going to finally settle down.

Your colleague is rude and borderline disrespectful.

Your friend keeps asking you to babysit at the last moment and you end up missing your yoga class.

You spend the whole day simmering with resentment. Your neighbor’s dog keeps barking all night and they do nothing about it, yet you don’t do anything to fix the situation.

Do any of the above scenes hit home? You most likely have trouble being assertive.

The Assertion Conundrum

 “All the world’s a stage/and all the men and women merely players;” said the Bard. However, if you’re a passive person, your role gets relegated to the audience who ends up cheering for those up on the stage.

Everyone wants to be a little more confident, a little more assertive, but not everyone knows how. Many people end up just going with the flow, not doing what’s right for them.

No one really sets out to be a pushover or a doormat, but if you don’t become more assertive and stand up for yourself, your needs get pushed to the backburner and you end up being trampled.

Below are a few ways you can practice the art of being assertive and doing what’s right for you!

Set Your Boundaries

The first step toward assertion is establishing a clear set of boundaries. These boundaries will not only be for others but for you as well. These can help direct others as to how they should behave around you and to what extent they should expect something from you. Clear boundaries will prevent others from walking all over you.

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Start Taking Responsibility

Don’t wait around for someone else to come and take a stand for you; take charge of your own life! Don’t wait for someone to fix your problems for you. Part of being assertive means understanding that your problems are yours to solve; they’re your responsibility. If you’re not happy with how something in your life’s going, take steps to change that.

Don’t Be Afraid to Put Yourself First

There are only so many hours in a day and so many days in a year and so many years in a lifetime. If you spend all your life putting others’ needs in front of yours, you won’t really be living your own life. While it is sweet to be thoughtful of others’ needs, don’t let that overpower your own happiness. The key is to strike a balance between the two.

Start Saying No

In order to be assertive, learn how to say “no.” This is a huge issue for many people who just can’t say “no” to others. That being said, saying “no” is an important life skill that is definitely worth learning. It’s not rude or stubborn to refuse something that is going to affect you adversely in some way. So don’t let others take advantage of you.

Learn from an Expert!

Do you need a spark of motivation and inspiration in your life? Steve Rizzo is who you’re looking for! Known as The Attitude Adjuster, Rizzo is a motivational keynote speaker who has helped bring a positive change in the lives of thousands.

Helping you to be more confident and self-assured, Steve can put you on the path toward self-discovery and success. To find out more about Steve and how he can help you, visit his website and get in touch with us today!

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