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10 Things I Couldn’t Say 10 Years Ago
As a person who’s been through her share of trauma, it’s taken me a long time to learn how to say a few things I should’ve been able to say years ago, things that mean I respect myself.
What does a woman say when she wants better for herself? How should I talk when I respect myself?
This is how I would answer that question. Here are ten things I couldn’t say ten years ago.
“I Deserve More Respect Than What I’m Getting”
This has become a handy phrase both at work and at home. As a big-hearted woman who looks younger than she is, I’ve endured plenty of disrespect, and too many times I’ve said nothing to defend myself. In fact, I’ve wondered if I actually deserved the disrespect I was getting.
Well, guess what? I don’t deserve it, and now I know that, and I’m not afraid to tell anyone, “I deserve more respect than what I’m getting.”
“I Don’t Like This”
This one took way too long to learn. “I don’t like this, so it needs to stop.”
Why did it take so long? Because I didn’t respect myself. Because, until recently, I didn’t trust my sense of right and wrong. Someone took that from me, and it’s taken me over 15 years to get it back.