We get what we tolerate. Isn’t that a scary thought? There are people in our lives who will test us to see how much we will do for them, how much complaining we will listen to, or disrespectful behavior we will tolerate. Co-workers, family members, and friends will test us too. All in an attempt to discover our boundaries.
Asserting ourselves trains people how to treat us. It means we speak up instead of avoid situations and embrace difficult conversations to establish rules of engagement or clear expectations. It can begin with a request to create a better relationship between two people, or it can be as simple as not engaging or colluding with behavior that is not kind or productive.
We have far more power than we imagine or often utilize. It’s best to think twice about tolerating something that isn’t supporting a healthy exchange.