Wednesday 31 July 2013

Being an assertive person

Some people think she is  talkative and some think she is shy. She  thinks they are both probably right depending on how much they talk and how much they know her or the kind of relationship she is  prepared  to have with them.  She usually shies away from stating her demands to some people and asserting her standards. This makes make her a kind of passive aggressive person. She tends to be rude and snap at wrong times because she bottles so much anger and do things she is  uncomfortable with. She is a walk over and she resents it.

This kind of behaviour makes an individual bitter and sets one up for a mediocre life. How can one lead a people if one cannot state one's standards? It is a duty upon us to be assertive.  To calmly and boldly say NO when we do not want to and do what we want or negotiate a compromise. Being a complete push over is a way of robbing oneself of one's own magnificence. Look at this example : Tlou gets to an event, finds a comfortable seat and hangs her coat there, then she goes to fetch some savories. When she returns a gigantic old lady has taken the seat and hung the coat on a chair under the dark projector shadow. What must she do? I bet you thought "tell her to move."

 I think sometimes our culture may make it hard to state what we want, if you are of the Pedi people, you know you will not talk back to any elder, if an elder says jump - you say how high. That is a code we live by and  it shows appreciation and respect for our elders. It supports and makes life comfortable for them.

I thik in life we assume different roles, as a woman, one is a mother, a teacher, a wife , a lawyer, a cleaner,a nurse, a daughter and a boss. Each of these roles demands different aspects of  behavior. The secret is to know where you are and behave accordingly.  Some situations may scare us away, but if more often than not we do that which is of our own interest and assert what we want , then we are better than mediocrity. Small baby steps can lead to a new confident individual with time.

Below are some benefits and steps for being assertive  
Benefits:
  • Less stress
  • More confident.
  • Less resentful.
  • A pleasure to be around.
How to be assertive:
  • Set boundaries.
  • Take responsibility for your own problems.
  • Realize that you cannot control how other people behave.
  • Start small.
  • Say NO.
  • Be simple and direct.
  • DO NOT JUSTIFY YOUR OPINION.
  • Rehearse.
  • Be persistent.
  • Stay cool.
  • Pick your battles.
Be prepared for resistance from those who are used to you as a push over. It will take some time, hang in there and you will get used to the better you with them, if they don't like it they can go find a new doormat. 

Read more here: The art of Manliness.

To being happier and being the best *****

Sunday 28 July 2013

Laziness and Procrastination.

I have been battling with laziness and procrastinating a lot lately. I put off things to the point where I end up saying I will do them tomorrow. I set my alarm on to wake me up at the right time to set me off to complete mys tasks , but I hardly wake up at the time. I simply hit the snooze button and at the worst I just put the dumb alarm off. This has gotten so bad I hate myself sometimes and the worst sound in my life has become that of my alarm clock. If I was lazying around and enjoying it I would say "what the hell?" But I hate is so much and once I allow my brain to go into passive mode it is just so hard to snap out of it.

I read somewhere that the best thing is just to decide that you need to stop and ACTUALLY STOP.By being passive I cannot even post on my own blog. What a good slave of laziness am I! I am so faithful I cannot even do what I enjoy. I am taking off the shackles. It used to be a mall problem and I could switch back and forth but now I have chosen a lower master. Hmm...I think I am just gonna do what I have to do right away before anything else occupies my fickle mind. That way I will be the one in control.

If you got any tips on overcoming laziness, do feel free to comment.

To getting wiser and stronger....
Check out this link, great guy Mohsin has very good tips:
How to beat up procrastination for good!

Friday 26 July 2013

Ramble Ramble

Been a while since I last posted. hectic times. My academics hatten quite demanding and I have been going throgh some draining times. I hope all my readers been have doing well. I will post interesting stuff shortly. keep warm, repeat your positive affirmations daily and be super awesome...I am very sad that my favorite author passed on: Susan Jeffers,  she lived a life worth living and she has left a fountain of beneficial stuff behind. She is in my loving memory. I watched some old music  videos by Brenda Fassie and Yvonne Chaka Chaka, gifted stars. I miss Mariam Makeba also, she was an icon and she continues to be.   I also wish Nelson Mandela good health   and peace to all good people.