Do you ever find yourself dimming your light to fit in with the crowd? Or staying quiet out of fear of rejection or judgement?

Maybe there have been times in your life when you wanted to speak up for yourself, but you didn’t. Maybe you wanted a raise at work, but couldn’t muster up the courage to ask for one. Or maybe somebody has asked you for a favor and you didn’t really want to do it, but you felt too nervous to say “no” so you did it anyway.

Or maybe there have been times in your life where you’ve held an un-popular opinion about something, but instead of sharing it, you just went along with the crowd. You said what you thought others wanted to hear.

Well if you can relate to any of this, I am here to tell you: It is safe to rise up and speak your truth! And it is so important that you do because what you have to say, could change someone else’s life.

I used to be in your shoes. There have been so many times in my life where I chose to stay small and dim my light to fit in. Like the time my friend was getting bullied and I didn’t stand up for her out of fear of being targeted next. Or the time all of my friends at school gossiped about one of my friends, and I just went alone with it. I know how hard it can be to feel brave, stand up tall, and speak your truth. I get it.

But over time, I’ve slowly stopped caring what other people think of me. As a self care coach and blogger, my priority has become speaking my truth. Because I know my truth can empower others to speak their truth! I don’t want anyone in this world to feel disempowered or like what they have to say doesn’t matter. Because it does matter.

Here are 3 tips to help you speak your truth, be more assertive, and and stand up for yourself:

1. Start small

I challenge you to speak your truth ONCE a day. Starting small can feel so much more manageable, and these small steps can lead to massive change over time. Once a day, speak up for yourself. Whether this is sharing an opinion you have, saying “no” to someone else, or simply sharing some thoughts you normally keep to yourself (even if you feel nervous!).

Over time, these small habits of speaking up can really build your confidence, help you become more assertive, and help you feel more empowered. Just remember, like anything, it gets easier with time!

2. Think of the worst case scenario

Let’s say you decide to go to your boss and ask for a raise. Maybe it’s something you’ve really been wanting to do for a long time, but you’ve stayed quiet and held back because of fear and uncertainty. In a case like this, try thinking of the worst case scenario. What’s the worst case scenario if you decide to stand up and speak your truth? Well, your boss could say no.

What would this mean to you if your boss said no? How would it feel? Would it really be that awful? Chances are, your boss will probably be willing to hear you out and have a discussion about it. But if they ultimately say no, at least you have tried! Sometimes it’s better to try and know, than to never have tried at all.

3. Decide whose opinion matters

One of the biggest reasons I think people hold back from speaking their truth is due to a fear of rejection. It’s a deep-rooted fear that others might judge us or worse.. might not like or us (or love us) anymore. But is this really true? If you stand up for yourself and become more assertive, will people really not like you anymore?

While most people will like to hear what you have to say, there’s a chance that others might not always agree or want to hear you. Personally, I’ve had to think about that a lot recently because I write articles on the internet. Every day, hundreds of people come to my blog and read the things that I write about mindset, self care, and mindfulness. Out of all of those people, there’s always a chance that someone might not like what I have to say. Someone might disagree. Someone might judge me. Someone might get triggered. Someone might even decide they don’t like me and then unsubscribe from my email list.

In the past, this rejection would’ve felt absolutely horrible to me! But I’ve had to ask myself, “Whose opinion really matters?” In the end, you decide what you give your time and energy to. If someone is upset by you speaking your truth, that’s probably more of their problem than yours. All you can do is try and remain as honest and respectful as possible, and then the rest is really out of your control!

I really hope these tips were helpful so you can speak your truth, be more assertive, and stand up for yourself!

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