Goal for the Day: Stand Up For Yourself

Each day, we encounter people who would have us bend to their wants. Sometimes, there’s no reason not to cooperate with the people around us. However, other times, we need to assert our own rights and protect our own interests.


Like many of you, I spent many years working in an environment wherein my “superiors” and coworkers insisted that their “truth” was the only way of life. Any attempt to point them in the direction of reality was met with derision and emotional manipulation. Thankfully, I’m no longer involved with any of that foolishness, and it’s a wonderful feeling. However, when you’re in a situation like that, how do you deal with the people who are stripping you of your dignity in exchange for a paycheck?

Sometimes, you’re not able to assert yourself, but you can always stand up for yourself in a polite and professional way. If your livelihood is threatened by the irrational whims of those around you, you can always preserve your dignity by stating, “I’ll do what you insist, but I don’t agree with it.” Try though they might, no one can fault you for that. All the while, you can actively be seeking another path for your life—a path which will remove you from that tyranny. After all, sometimes the best way to stand up for yourself is to stand alone.