Читать книгу Assert Yourself: Simple Steps to Build Your Confidence - Gael Lindenfield, Gael Lindenfield - Страница 7

Although I wrote this book several years ago, it still offers a very good introduction to the subject, and the exercises will still work well for both individuals and self-help groups. The world, however, has changed quite dramatically since the book was written. The pace of life has become very much faster and more competitive for most people. As a consequence, personal stress has become a major mental and physical health issue. Assertiveness is a skill that we now need perhaps more than ever. When used in important situations – and in relationships that are diminishing or threatening our personal resources of time and emotional and physical energy – it is invaluable. For those of you who are still novices at using these techniques, you may be surprised to hear that I now would like to make a plea for the usefulness of passivity!

When I first wrote this book most people didn’t even know what the word ‘assertiveness’ meant. Now almost everyone does and assertive behaviour is generally expected of us all – not just at work, but also in our personal relationships. Over the last few years I have seen many people tire themselves needlessly by being too assertive all of the time! Once your self-esteem and self-confidence are in good shape, you might naturally find yourself letting many minor put-downs and unfair situations pass by without a challenge. But even if they are still shaky, remember that you can also decide to be passive from time to time, especially if you are tired or stressed. If you later decide that the issue is one that is important to you, you can always use your assertive skills to bring it up again. You will undoubtedly handle it better when you have had time to reflect and recoup your energy.