As someone who has always abhorred confrontation, I often shy away from it. Okay, I actively avoid it. This means that I am often "tried," or tested by others. It's not even that I'm afraid of confrontation, I'd just rather not deal with it. Negative emotions can be so tiresome, I'd rather not deal with them. No, think about it! How much energy does it take out of you to be angry? Stressed? Frustrated? If it doesn't take anything out of you, no offense, but you might want to examine yourself. Being desensitized to that family of emotions is not healthy.

Unfortunately, confrontation is also necessary. It has its benefits. It's good for your emotions, a detox of sorts. It's never great to bottle your emotions up. It also helps you learn how to acclimate to uncomfortable situations. Life can be very uncomfortable.

So, to those like me that hate confrontation. Those that automatically say sorry. Those that think before they speak. Those that evaluate the risks and benefits of a situation before acting. Those that lower their lids when confronted with hostility.

Stop it.

We are not shying away from confrontation anymore. We are done letting people run over us. We are not doormats, nor are we in the street. We are done letting people take advantage of this attribute of ours.

Stand up for yourself! I don't care if your voice shakes or your body gets the shakes, you deserve respect just like anyone else. Take a deep breath, speak your peace, and don't let anyone interrupt. Just as you don't want to offend anyone, you don't deserve to be offended.

You don't have to shut up. You don't have to hold your tongue. You don't have to feel the embarrassment that comes with being the one to stand down.

Although, there's power in that too.