One of my favorite focuses in counseling is assertiveness training. Many people do not realize that a lack of healthy assertiveness is often at the root of their issues. The first step towards obtaining a healthy balance of assertiveness is learning how to believe in yourself.
Provided below is a “Personal Bill of Rights.” Believing in these rights, and in turn, yourself, may just be what it takes to engage in a whole new world of self-love, self- confidence, and healthy assertiveness.
Personal Bill of Rights:
1. I have the right to change and grow.
2. I have the right to be healthy.
3. I have the right to make mistakes.
4. I have the right to say “no,” “I don’t know,” I don’t understand, or “I don’t care.”
5. I have the right to expect honesty from others.
6. I have the right to live by my own standards and set of values.
7. I have the right to change my mind.
8. I have the right to be respected.
9. I have the right to not take responsibility for others’ actions, feelings, or behaviors.
10. I have the right to be in a non-abusive environment.
11. I have the right to have my needs be as important as the needs of others.
12. I have the right to do things that others might not approve of.
13. I have the right to ask for help
14. I have the right to be myself.
15. I have the right to be happy.
