Self-advocating is the practice of identifying what you need and then asking for it. I'm curious how many of you just cringed as you read that. For some of us (especially depending on the scenario), this can be extremely uncomfortable.
I was out to eat with some friends recently, and I immediately noticed the restaurant offered pizza with cauliflower crust. This was good news, as it meant I could potentially have pizza. I read the menu again and noticed it said it was baked in a stone oven. Oops. I was now going to need to ask questions to find out if there might be cross contamination. This is always an uncomfortable scenario for me, as servers work so hard and have so many demands. I knew I had to ask. Much to my surprise, the server had Celiac Disease and was able to quickly and confidently answer my questions, steer me away from the pizza and recommend something she knew would be safe for me to eat.
This is one small example of the practice of knowing there are certain situations where I have to speak up for myself. You know what? It was uncomfortable, and I had a delicious lunch, and I made the drive home feeling so good about that.
What is one small area where you’d like to be able to advocate for yourself? What is one small step you might be able to take? You may not always get the response you hope for, and you will also likely increase your sense of agency.
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