Change your life by asserting yourself

To sustain in today's competitive world, one must be an assertive and social person. An assertive person is a person who is able to-

• communicate himself to others,
• say 'NO' to unpleasant or unjustified demands/requests,
• complement others,
• take risks without fear, and
• give and take fair criticism.

An unassertive person can be of two types- Passive or Aggressive.

A passive person has a tendency to bottle up his feelings. He is reluctant to put forth his ideas as he feels that his ideas will be rejected straightaway.

On the other hand, an aggressive person has a tendency to fight aggressively to establish his ideology. He gets angry very easily and cannot take criticism easily. Such behavior leads to ugly fights and later on, the person himself feels guilty for his deeds-"I never meant that, I don't know what made me say that."

An assertive person, however, does not employ any of these two responses- Flight (passivity) or Fight (aggression), and responds by Arguing and Negotiating.

To become an assertive person, one must understand that there are some fundamental assertive rights that every person has got-

1. The right to ask for what we want.
2. The right to make statements without giving any justification.
3. The right to have an opinion.
4. The right to make our own decisions and to cope up with the consequences.
5. The right to change our minds.
6. The right to make mistakes.
7. The right not to  know about something and not to understand.

So, if you are in doubt whether to (and how to) -

• express your feelings,
• praise your friend's efforts
• criticize a friend's dressing style, 
• tell an irritating lady to keep silent, or
• talk in a big social event,

Just try to be an assertive person and use your wisdom to tackle the situation, instead of hiding in your shell or being patronizing to others. Keep in mind the rights that you have got (especially the 6th one). Don't be disheartened if you commit a mistake or you have to make a compromise, because the road you have taken will definitely lead to success.