24/02/2024
With all the backlash grieving people get — "You should do this!" "You have to stop doing that!" — it can be hard to know what you actually have a right to. Pro-tip: everything.
One cool way to play with this graphic is to choose one of the elements, then experiment with that right for a day or two in all your interactions.
For example, you might choose "you have the right to not share personal information." As you go through your day, notice when you feel annoyed or overwhelmed with someone's questions about your life. Notice if you tend to override those feelings, in the service of being polite, or to avoid conflict.
First, just become aware of it. How often does it happen? What's the result afterwards, if you override your needs?
And then: exercise your rights. Play around with different responses and figure out what feels and works best for you.
To be honest, sometimes you won't exercise your rights. That's okay. Knowing you have rights — emotional rights, relational rights — means you can make conscious decisions about when and whether you assert those rights.
Which of these grievers' rights will you choose to experiment with first? Let me know in the comments! Rights and boundaries are challenging things - talking about them together is super helpful.
