Find your voice to get the support, confidence, and leverage you need to reverse your diabetes. Many have found this is key to their success.
Speaking up does not mean you have to lash out and be hurtful with your words. There are plenty of ways to get your point across and stay true to yourself in a way that is effective and empathetic to the others involved.
Here are 3 simple, but effective ways to find your voice without being rude or hurtful.
Speak in silence to find your voice
Sometimes, speaking up for yourself means not saying a single word. Remaining silent when someone expects you to be upset can be one of the most powerful messages you can ever send. The fact that you don’t feel the need for verbal confrontation speaks volumes about how grounded you are in your own truths and values. You don’t need to win an argument. You don’t need someone to know that you’re right. You simply choose to walk on in silence and let them think what they want. Understanding that you don’t have to verbally engage in a situation for your message to speak volumes is golden and one of the smartest tactics you’ll ever use. A quick tip? If you are feeling unsure or confused about what to say at the moment, silence is a great way to give yourself some extra time to think it through before you say something you might regret. Just like picking your battles, as you become more assertive, it will be easier to determine which situations deserve your words or simply that sweet sound of silence.
Cut the Excuses
There is nothing that says uncertainty and self-doubt like a bunch of on-the-spot excuses when trying to get out of something you don’t want to do. If you want to get better at asserting yourself with confidence, drop the excuses and try adding the word NO to your vocabulary. Not only do we come up with excuses to avoid requests from others, but we also have a long list of excuses that we use on ourselves. I can’t build a business, run a marathon, or write a book – I’m not smart enough, fit enough and I stink at writing. Most all excuses are born out of fear – fear of failure, uncertainty, and a bunch of other limiting beliefs that hold you back. Recognizing that you constantly pull the excuse card is the first step in kicking that bad habit to the curb. Once you do this, it will help you feel more self-assured and confident when the time comes to speak up. Remember – you deserve to have your wants and needs heard and respected. Drop the excuses, start taking responsibility for that, and own it. Because obviously, what you’re doing now isn’t working.
Go with Your Gut
We are all born with instincts that let us know when something feels right or, on the other hand, when something is way off. We can use these gut feelings as a compass to direct us through those situations where we’re uncertain of what to do. It’s so important to listen to that little voice inside your head or that feeling in the pit of your stomach. Your gut usually knows what to do – the hard part is convincing your head, your heart and your mouth. Try thinking back to a time in your life when someone crossed over one of your boundaries. Most likely, it didn’t sit well with you, but you may not have expressed your frustration because you didn’t want to rock the boat. Still, there was that little nudge – that small voice telling you to speak up and express how you felt. So often, we tend to second guess ourselves and our gut feelings out of fear. However, remembering that those instincts are there for a reason makes it so much easier to speak up with courage the next time your gut tells you to.
To find your voice means instant freedom
No matter how long you’ve taken the silent route, there’s no better time to start asserting yourself than now. The first step to begin speaking up is to actually do it. This is the scariest part, but it WILL get easier over time as you practice, practice, and then practice some more.
With these tips, speaking your mind will eventually feel like second nature and you’ll wonder why in the world it took you so long to find that smart, confident, and much-needed voice.
And the best part? You’ll find you admire them, you smile at them, you appreciate them, and you understand their own struggles.
To get more ideas and help click on 10 Effective Ways to Set Boundaries Without Hurting Others today and start feeling good about who you are, find those positive emotions, be free, and confident in the incredible person you are.