The moment it all began to change was the day I finally stood up for myself.
I was finally free. I remember calling my brother and telling him I finally said what needed to be said and did not back down. And the best part was I stayed calm. What a powerful feeling to be able to stand up for yourself.
How did I get here? I worked on me. I began to take responsibility for my feelings. I took control of what I could control and let go of the rest.
If someone wanted to get mad at me for what I had to say then that’s on them. My responsibility is to be respectful in my actions, words, and attitude. This doesn’t mean I can just go tell people what I think of them and then blame them for getting mad.
It’s about learning to share my feelings in healthy and respectful ways. It means sharing my feelings even if it might make that person upset.
Knowing that what I share might upset them, means taking time to put myself in their shoes to understand why. Are they upset because what I am saying isn’t true? Or I am saying it disrespectfully? Or are they just upset because it’s a truth they don’t want to hear?
I am learning that it is better to express what I am feeling even though it might cause a little pain instead of holding it all in and waiting for it to explode out of me.