Life knocks you down a lot; it always seems like something is trying to take you down when you feel like you're on top. Sometimes this can come in the form of an unfortunate circumstance.

Other times, it comes in the form of a person. Maybe someone is trying to control you, or being rude, or causing you a lot of trouble. Sure, sometimes we mess up, and it's fine to be told off; however, these actions can be completely unwarranted. Within the past year, it seems as if a lot of these things have happened to me. Someone was being rude or annoying, being completely unreasonable with me, or flat out not listening. These situations, however, have taught me something: I shouldn't be afraid to stand up for myself.

It's easy to be a doormat and let people push you around. You may be scared to speak up or scared of creating conflict. You may not want people to think you are rude and feel it is only polite to keep quiet. Silence can be very powerful, but it has its place. In some situations, you have to speak up for yourself. If you don't, you will continue to get pushed around, stressed, annoyed, and angry. All those unresolved feelings can cause you to break down or feel like you want to explode.

Remember, it's your life and no one else's. Why let someone else make it miserable? Why let others bring you down? Your thoughts and feelings matter, so don't be afraid to let them be heard. Don't be afraid to call others out on their crap. If something or someone is hurting you, bothering you, or not helping you when you need it, don't worry about speaking your mind. You have to be strong and firm about what matters most to you and about things that are driving you nuts.

Standing up for yourself doesn't always have to involve yelling or being mean. Sometimes, that could be appropriate. But if you fear seeming rude, there are calm ways to go about it. Be firm in your stance and position, keep a calm tone, and have a level-headed discussion; you can be strong and powerful in protecting yourself without being loud and sounding angry.

Learning to stand up for yourself can be one of the hardest things ever. It requires finding your voice, gathering a lot of strength, and disrupting the norm of going with the flow and keeping things calm. Society tells us to be polite and calm, but you have to fight things when the situation calls for it. Standing up for yourself can take a lot of practice, but once you can do it, you will feel so empowered and like you can take on the world.