Being assertive means that you know what you want and are not afraid to express your wants to other people. It does not mean that you need to be aggressive in which you use scare tactics to be heard. By being assertive, you are voicing your wants and needs but are considerate of the rights, wants, and needs of others.
Assertiveness is being sure of yourself and using your power to get your point across with fairness and with empathy of other people. For example, you could ask your friend’s opinion about how they feel about gun laws and you could disagree with their opinion. Just because you disagree does not mean that you will be mean to them about it but will listen to their side of the story while still maintaining your beliefs. By being assertive, you will be confident in yourself as you understand who you are and what you are worth. With this life skill, you could become a great manager in being fair and respectful towards others and others will treat you the same. If you are well-liked, more people will want to work with you.
When things do not go as planned, do not feel threatened or victimized. Assertiveness is finding the best solution that works out for everyone. Know that you do not deserve to have people walk all over you but should be treated with dignity and respect. Have the confidence to stand up for what you believe is right and be true to your wants, needs, and yourself. If you see things are going wrong in your school, your family, or at work, take the initiative to present your plan to others to make things right. Know that you cannot control the behavior of others.
It is possible that people could be mad at you for expressing your opinion or disagreeing with others but that should not stop you from speaking up. Only you can be held accountable for your own emotions. You do not need to yell or threaten to make your voice heard but tell others simply your needs. Being assertive also means knowing when to say no. If you have too much to do and not enough time to do it, tell someone that you cannot do it but will try at another time. Assertiveness will bring you more respect and you will be more confident in yourself.
Located in downtown Midland, The Springboard Center’s mission is to offer programs and services to treat alcohol and drug addiction treatment using an evidence based curriculum, 12 step programs, diet, nutrition, exercise, emotional, mental and spiritual development for a long recovery. For more information, please call us at 432-620-0255 as we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
