Champion Yourself

Expressing what we want and need in life is never easy. We feel guilty asking for help, or fear being seen as ungrateful or difficult when we share our feelings. When we’re young we can look over our shoulder at a parent to answer for us. But as we get older we have to learn how to speak up for ourselves. While we all have people who love us and who are in our corner, there are some battles we have to fight on our own.

We are our own best advocates. It is up to us to be vocal about what we need. None of us really want to exist in a world where people can read our minds, but sometimes we act as though people can. We assume that our significant other, friend, parent, doctor, or boss knows what we want and need, and we don’t share with them what our true feelings really are.

It was my grandmother who used to say that you have to be your own greatest advocate while she was fighting against cancer. As much as the people around us have good intentions, no one knows what we need the way that we do. It’s okay to express those needs, even when we think the people around us know better.

Advocating for yourself can be as simple as letting your significant other know that you really need more quality time with them. Or it can be as complex as telling a doctor that you know something is wrong, even when they give you a clean bill of health.

Last week I advocated for myself after months of holding in my emotions. I had been hesitant to approach my boss about my career aspirations, assuming that she knew where my head was at from prior conversations. But after last week’s talk, I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders and that she really understands my career goals.

Advocating for yourself doesn’t mean being rude or pushy. When you advocate for something, you are a champion of it. Champion yourself! Lift yourself up by being honest and open about where you’re at. People may not always understand or meet you halfway, but they won’t know to do anything for you at all if they don’t know what you need.

✪ Action item: Where does your life need a little extra championing? Next time you feel yourself bottling up your emotions out of fear, challenge yourself to be your own best advocate by letting someone in on your wants and needs.