The Power Of Assertiveness

Ask anyone and they will tell you I have been on the beotch wagon lately. Those I have come in contact with for the last 2 weeks basically heard an earful.  Just ask my dear husband. Two nights ago in a fit of frustration and tears I told my husband that I was done with all the outside negativity that seems to be encroaching on our home more and more. 

When I pause to think about it rationally (something very rare for me), I see how trivial all my bull crap is.  In the whole scheme of life my fed up attitude is childish in many ways.

Guess what?  I don't care.

As I have shared, we are in over a month now of stalled home renovations.  We have been living with plywood for windows, peeled off siding, leaky ceilings, half a porch and a partially stripped roof.  Don't get me started on the bug infestation that has resulted from all this.

Bids that were to come in never did.  Supplies that were ordered, never showed.  Phone calls requesting time lines were never returned, concerns were never addressed.  Safety issues were blown off.  When roofers actually DID show, they came unannounced and peered down at our daughters from our skylights up on the roof.

The result?  I got tired of not being taken seriously by people so I stood up for myself, threw a fit, then started firing off phone calls and text messages to the offending parties.  I threatened reviews, termination of contracts, social media hate and the like.

I was surprised at the result.  Apparently I'm getting snotty in my old age because all of a sudden, I got responses.  I got timelines, I got apologies, I got offers for compensation for the trouble, I got offers to make it right.

Exhausting really, when you think about all the energy I have wasted in worrying over matters that have little to no value when millions of people don't know where their next meal is coming from.

  If there is a silver lining in all this I guess I am discovering a side of me I didn't know existed.  The power of assertiveness.  While it challenges me to the core, I know I need it in order to survive this gig called adulthood.

Next on my hit list?  7-11.  They are STILL out of my flippin red licorice....