Self-Advocacy

This article was found in the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Bulletin, Volume 23, Number 41, posted on October 3, 2013. This bulletin is geared toward informing state employees. Take a read through and see what you think. What jumps out at you? Is it good or bad?

Be informed: taking positive steps towards self-advocacy

This month we will explore “Being Informed” as a route to positive health and wellness. Our first topic is Self-advocacy. Self-advocacy is about getting the information you need, making decisions and assertively communicating your needs to others in order to achieve a positive outcome. Self-advocacy is all about looking out for yourself while still respecting and valuing the role others may play in your life.

Today, we all need to be much wiser consumers and to make the best decisions possible for our own welfare. Speaking up and advocating for yourself can help you to get the best product or service, save you money, save you hassles, and help you to feel competent and successful. Making informed choices and standing up for yourself can help you not fall prey to the many scams in today’s world. Every day we have choices to make and sometimes we can feel exhausted with all the decisions a day can bring. The art of discerning between various information bites and resources is a must in today’s world of information overload. It’s easy to grow weary and leave the decisions to others. Passivity is tempting but can lead to a feeling of powerlessness over your life. Take charge of your life with these steps down the road to self-advocacy:

·         Know your rights

·         Educate yourself

·         Believe in yourself

·         Determine your needs

·         Ask all the necessary questions

·         Trust your gut feelings

·         Think about your goals and what you want

·         Develop a decision making model that helps you to make good, quick decisions

Remembering to stay calm and cool when speaking up for yourself is a very important key to getting what you want. Self-advocacy isn’t about over-powering others, or taking advantage of someone. It’s about assertively asking for what you want and need in a strong yet appropriate way. If you find it’s hard in certain situations to stand up for yourself, try writing it down first or practice what you want to say with a friend or even EAP staff. Many people find it gets easier with practice. Taking care of your needs, standing up for yourself and identifying when something isn’t working and taking action is a key to self-care and self-power. Trusting yourself to take care of your own life, rather than leaving the decisions and choices to others is the key to taking charge of your destiny and creating the life you want. [name removed] and [name removed], reporters.

My thoughts: I agree with not letting others make decisions for you. We should all be responsible for our actions, but what is the motivation that is promoted here? Self-advocacy, self-care, self-power…these all fall under a more negative term of selfishness. Yes, we have done a great job of putting a positive spin on it, and we promote it as necessary in our society, because who is looking out for you? “No one” is the answer that our society wants you to believe. So we should be looking out for ourselves…right? Wrong! We are each called to look out for others and their needs. God looks out for us and we will always have what we need.

• Know your rights? Know your responsibilities.
• Educate yourself? Good, read God’s word, and teach others.
• Believe in yourself? Believe in God, the only one in complete control.
• Determine your needs? Determine your neighbor’s needs, and do something to help.
• Ask all the necessary questions. Like, “Why am I doing this?” and “Why am I here?”
• Trust your gut feeling? Only after examining yourself to God’s standard.
• Think about your goals and what you want. Is it God-pleasing? 
• Develop a decision making model that helps you make good, quick decisions. Do what you know it right.

Don’t speak up for yourself. Speak up for what is right. We keep struggling for more control over our lives when we should yield our lives to God and to others in accordance to God’s will. Goal setting is good; game planning is good; working to be more productive is good, but all is useless without the right motivation, the right heart. I am just as guilty as all of us. Selfishness comes naturally, but that doesn’t mean we need to accept it as good. That doesn’t mean we just need to be selfish more civilly. Usually we need to work for good, and our natural instinct is bad. Think about it. Pray about it. Talk to others you respect about it. Read God’s word and He will show you the way.