Have you ever wished that you had
CONFIDENCE TO SPEAK OUT about something you disapprove of or disagree with? Maybe you'd like to tell your boss that there's a better way to do something, or that you don't like being treated in a certain way. Maybe you're sick of people taking you for granted, or hurting your feelings without even caring to assess damage they're doing to your self-esteem.If you struggle to speak out, it's probably for one or more of these reasons:
- You're afraid that people may like you less if you say something they find controversial or disagreeable
- You're afraid that someone, whom you perceive to be more powerful than you, may try to take revenge on you if you dare to speak out and challenge his or her behaviour
- You're afraid that someone smarter than you will point out errors in your argument and make you look foolish
But, even if you can relate to all three reasons, ask yourself this: is suffering in silence really more satisfying than speaking out and dealing with consequences?
When you choose silence, there's a voice inside your head that judges you. And, no matter how hard you try, you can't seem to shut it up, can you? It's your own chatterbox, and it tells you "you are powerless and weak. Your opinions are worth far less than other people's. I don't think you deserve to like yourself very much today."
Do YOU have a chatterbox inside your head that drives you mad?
Each day that you choose to stay silent, voice becomes more smug. Your self-esteem drifts downwards as if falling into a deep, dark hole. You start to lose belief that you will ever be able to climb out again, to hold your head up high in sunshine to fill you with warmth and joy of living.
