This situation may have occurred at work or in your community. Perhaps it was due to poor service or a faulty product. People may have been rude to you. The situation may have been caused by the establishment you were visiting.

Emotionally, you felt hurt, taken advantage of, overlooked, or used by others, yet you chose to not react. As anger built up inside you, it ate away a small part of you. You may have felt powerless. Then time slipped away and you chose to do nothing about the injustice. Your inactivity has provided no results or improvement.

I too have had these times in my life. Lately, I have taken a proactive position. I am aware that my actions can make changes and right the wrongs.

I use a wheelchair to get around due to a spinal cord injury. I am tired of going into public restrooms and finding that the stalls are not large enough for me to use. I am upset when I go into a hotel and the hotel staff can’t find a shower bench, even after I specified that I would need one when I made the reservation. I am frustrated when I go shopping and am not able to roll down the aisles due to the positioning of the clothes racks and displays. I am angered when I face steps and ramps that are too step at entrances to public buildings and businesses where I shop. I have had enough.

Every negative experience I face becomes my challenge. I address my concerns to the management. It only takes a few minutes to have a conversation, write an incident report, or send a letter. Whenever I write to the management, I ask for their reply within the next thirty days. Believe me, you can make a difference.

The next time that you are faced with a challenge that needs to be addressed, take immediate action to report the situation. The longer you stall, the less likely you will take action. Write a description of the situation and the problem it created. Suggest solutions and changes. As you write, you will feel empowered. This fleeting moment of power can be used to help others who follow you too.

As you become more proactive you will feel more confident about taking assertive action at the next opportunity. After awhile, it will seem commonplace to ask for the manager on duty or to obtain a name and address to contact.

Follow your feelings the next time a negative situation presents itself. Be heard and make the people who can correct the situation, aware of the problem. Oftentimes the solutions are easy to find and will be long lasting.

© Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D. would like to read your comments about her column and the impact it has made on your life. She also encourages your ideas for future columns. Contact her at: Rosemarie@RosemarieSpeaks.com, or 1008 Eastchester Dr., Columbus, OH 43230-6230.

Byline: To book Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D. to speak at a conference, contact her at: (614) 471-6100; www.RosemarieSpeaks.com. Rosemarie works with organizations and corporations that want to bring out the best in their people, and she demonstrates how to live life with conviction.

Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D
Rossetti Enterprises Inc.
Speaker - Trainer - Consultant - Writer
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1008 Eastchester Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43230-6230
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phone: 614-471-6100
North America: 1-866-471-6110 (toll free)
Worldwide: 1-614-471-6100
Fax: 614-471-5575
Rosemarie

RosemarieSpeaks.com