If you are bullied, you probably know how hard it is to stand up for yourself.  Even if you aren’t bullied, when someone says something harsh about you, you don’t quite know what to do.  Even if it is just advocating so that you can move to a different place in class, if it means anything at all to you, ask!

By standing up for yourself, or advocating, you never use “come-backs” or shoot back an insult.  That encourages arguments and fights.  We all know that never ends well.  If you are standing up against a classmate, and they say something rude about you, stay calm and reply something like, “Hey, that was pretty messed up.  Please don’t talk to me like that. I don’t talk to you like that.”

If that doesn’t end well, you should stop hanging out or being around that person.  If you are in the same class, tell the teacher.  When you talk to the teacher, be polite and reasonable.  Tell her what you would like, and if it doesn’t work out, offer to make a compromise.

Today at school, I wanted to play violin for my class, but I was too afraid to ask.  I seriously regretted it later because I worked so hard on the song.  Part of being a Linchpin is standing up for yourself and advocating.  Trust me, if you can stand up for yourself, you will always have an advantage.  Be strong.