The {OLD} vs {NEW} Me

[This is mostly for me]

The OLD me: I let people run all over me...

EXAMPLE: When I worked at LRA I had a supervisor who was THE MOST power tripping and competitive person I have ever met! Everything HAD to be her way and she HAD to win. I let her get away with things that I should not have let her do to me! (I think it is bc I did have a few things on her-not to boast-but I was married, graduated from school (she was older than me), and had played college softball. She was good at softball but she was the kind of person that had to throw the ball as hard as she could on the first throw like she was out to prove something...I just always laughed inside and thought, "I bet your arm hurts tonight lol". Anyway, the best example I can think of was this one month when I had only see Dave once or twice during that month and was SO excited to see him... so, of course, I wanted work off to be home when he got home. He had been called to fires one right after the other (they are gone for 2 weeks at a time) The day he was coming home I had arranged to have someone work for me...the only problem was that she had to leave for an hour to go to a wedding reception...SO, I called my manager and he said it was fine. So I am covered RIGHT? Well, work had been pretty crazy so I asked Prescott if she wanted me to come in and help BUT I needed to leave when Dave was almost home. So I go into work and everything was just fine UNTIL it was time for me to leave. When I radio to her that I was leaving she told me I needed to stay. WHAT! SERIOUSLY?! I reminded her that I was covered and I just came in to help. The girl who was covering for me was sitting right next to me. She didn't care...she made me stay...well, I let her make me stay. I was dumbfounded and furious and I stayed until I had HER permission to leave. I was SO mad I just cried all the way home and just cried when I finally saw Dave. I let her ruin my whole night with Dave. What I should have done was say, "No, Erica, I am covered and if there is a problem you can talk to Keith (the manager) when he gets back" (he wasn't at work that day). I let her do things like that almost every day. I grew to HATE a job that I had LOVED before. She would make me do another girls job all the time bc she knew I didn't like it (that is why I wasn't hired to do that job! Irony of it is that the other girl was a friend of mine (or so I thought) and I am the one who told her to apply for the job--I kicked myself for that one!) I prayed and prayed that somehow I could get away from her so I could enjoy going to work again. I was finally given the chance to move to a different area and eventually to a different shift. But why did I let her do that to me? What gave her the right to do those things to me? Why didn't I stand up for myself and say something? Well, that girl is GONE!

The NEW me: I will stand up for myself...

EXAMPLE: We have this huge 300+ lb Jamaican neighbor who thinks he owns the place and everyone who lives in it! He was asking RIDICULOUS things of us and I had had it. I let it happen once but the second time...I stood my ground! I talked back even though he could have smashed me into the ground in 2 seconds. He did get what he wanted but this time he knew I wasn't going to put my head down with my tail between my legs and say, "Yes, Sir". I felt like I made my point, which was a pretty good one bc he just walked into his place without finishing our little conversation...haha...anyway, I was VERY proud of myself and I felt good inside even though there was now animosity between us and the neighbors. Well, the story ends well. A couple days later we took brownies over and apologized to smooth things over. They weren't home at the time so we left a note. The following day they came over and apologized to us and now all is well! So, I was able to stand up for myself, let him know I wasn't going to take it, and we are all on good terms and the world is still spinning.