Personal Bill of Rights

I have been through many things in my life, some good, some bad... some from bad choices and bad decisions I made personally and some from a result of someone else's bad choices and bad decisions. In all of this, I learned a few important things... they are listed below.

This goes out to all concerned and loved ones...

Personal Bill of Rights

1. You have the right to be treated with respect.
2. You have the right to not take responsibility for anyone else's behavior.
3. You have the right to get angry.
4. You have the right to say "no".
5. You have the right to make mistakes.
6. You have the right to have your own feelings and opinions.
7. You have the right to change your mind or decide on a different course of action.
8. You have the right to negotiate for a change.
9. You have the right to ask for emotional support or help.
10. You have the right to protest unfair treatment or criticism.

Further more...

I Now Declare My Human Right to...

1) Experience all my own emotions. They are a natural part of being human. They include fear, sadness, anger, shame, uncertainty, confusion, joy, lust, hope, pride, happiness, etc. - even "numbness." I am not bad, weak, or wrong for feeling, and there is no such thing as a "negative" emotion.

2) Describe and/or express my feelings to others if and when I choose to, without feeling obligated, guilty, or ashamed. I am responsible for this choice but not for others' reactions.

3) Say "Yes," "No," "I can't," and "I don't know," without undue guilt, shame, or anxiety - and to be responsible for the consequences.

4) Choose if, when, and how to meet others’ expectations of me. if I choose not to meet them, I need not feel guilty unless I've clearly committed to do so. I am responsible for such choices and their consequences.

5) Choose my own friends and acquaintances, and how and when to spend time with them. I may, but don’t have to, justify these choices to others.

6) Make my own mistakes, and learn from and profit by them if I can;

7) Choose if, when, and how to respectfully tell others clearly how their actions are affecting me - and to take responsibility for doing so.

8) Earn and maintain my own self-respect and pride, rather than depending on other people’s opinions of me.

9) Seek and accept or decline help without undue shame, anxiety, or guilt;

10) Give others the responsibility for their own beliefs, decisions, feelings, and thoughts, without feeling guilty, anxious, or selfish. Feeling responsible for other able adults often burdens me, and blocks their growing self-confidence and self-respect.

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