5 Reasons to Stand up for Your
Beliefs
Many times we’re faced with situations that can cause us to consider
compromising our values. Maybe you have been offered a job with a company
you don’t respect…but you really need the job. Maybe your beliefs are in
the minority…but you don’t want to become an outcast as a result. Or,
maybe you disagree with your boss’s business practices…but are too shy or too
afraid to rock the boat to stand-up for what you really think or believe. When
confronted with these situations, it is sometimes difficult to stick to your
guns or stand your ground.
Unfortunately, the more we compromise our values, the more of a negative
impact it has on our mental wellbeing. And, the more we compromise our values,
the more we continue to do so. You could say it becomes an insidious cycle. On
the other hand, when we stand up for what we believe in, the benefits can have
a tremendously positive impact:
- It Builds Self-Confidence: When others dictate what we should think, feel and do, it eats away at our self-confidence. We begin to distrust our own instincts and lose the ability to decipher what we really believe versus what everyone wants us to believe. Although it may be difficult at first, the more we stand-up for ourselves, the more we build our self-confidence. It takes guts to express an unpopular viewpoint…it takes guts to say no when it is so much easier to say yes…and it takes guts to risk losing a job, friends or opportunities because someone won’t like our opinion. However, the more you tap into your “guts,” the easier it gets, and the more confident you’ll become.
- It Helps you Develop a Strong Sense of Self: If we bow to others and their opinions, and do things their way, whether right or not, we start to lose our own identity and start to forget for what we truly stand. Further, the less you allow yourself to think freely and develop your own belief system, the more you become a follower without your own direction. On the other hand, the more authentic you are to your needs and viewpoints, the more you will understand your sense of self.
- It Develops Self-Respect: Would you respect someone who went against their own values because it was convenient or because it was more popular? Probably not. And, with good reason. Wishy washiness is far from admirable, or for that matter, respectable. Yet, if you encounter someone with a less popular opinion who stands their ground (assuming the opinion or belief is founded in ethical principles), you would most likely have great respect for them. Same goes for the way you perceive yourself. The more you stand up for your beliefs, the more self-respect you will develop. If you continually give in to what others want and compromise your own values in the process, you are going to lose respect for yourself.
- It Builds Integrity: In a time when so many individuals are dishonest, do things to better themselves at the expense of others, expose their personal lives for a chance to be famous and do what feels good in the moment without thinking about the consequences, integrity is a characteristic that is especially unique. Doing the right thing or standing up for your beliefs may not be easy, but when you do, you know that you’ll be able to look yourself in the mirror and feel good about yourself. You’ll know that you did the right thing and that you had integrity.
- It Helps You be Independent: As much as we like to believe that a hero or heroine will swoop-in to defend our honor, it is extremely rare. There are two things to consider here: First, if YOU don’t stand up for yourself or your beliefs, then how can you expect others to? And second, the person who you should ALWAYS be able to count on to stand up for you – no matter what – is you. What this means is that the more you stand-up for your beliefs, the less you will rely on others to validate them. You’ll reinforce your independence and ability to stand on your own two feet without anyone else to support you.
We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t make mistakes or give into what was
easier once in awhile, but learning from those mistakes and standing for what
we believe in the vast majority of time is what is most important.
Do you believe in yourself? How has it helped you to reach your
goals and be successful?
Regards
Pralhad Jadhav
Senior Manager @
Knowledge Repository
Khaitan
& Co
Upcoming Event | MANLIBNET 17th
Annual International Conference on 15-16 September 2017 at Jaipuria, Noida,
India
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