Daring to Speak Up

It takes courage to speak up.  It carries a lot of risks including the possibility of being misunderstood.  We do have a choice to just shut up or to be assertive enough to express our views.  We also need to know when to say things and when not to say them.  Not necessarily never to say them at all but to have the patience to wait for the proper time.

The spirit in which things are said is also important.  I remember taking an assertiveness course and what I got from it was something I use when I am afraid to speak up.  To gain courage, our lecturer said these two things must be remembered.  1.  You are important and therefore you have the right to speak up and 2. You are there to speak up because you are important and not because you want to change the person's mind.  In other words, do not think outcome. You do things to respect your own opinion and to find your voice. When the motive is to control the other person or persons, then you put a lot of pressure on yourself. You would think it is an impossible task to accomplish and just give up or when you speak up and the other person reacts in a manner you did not expect or desire, an altercation can occur.  Sometimes we imagine the latter in our mind before we speak up and totally freeze not wanting it to occur.

Speak up and then shut up.  You have done what you set to do. As the poster says, you stood for - YOU.