There comes a time when we all must push back on ideas or situations that we don't believe in. This doesn't necessarily mean that what is happening is "wrong," but each of us should only have to endure so much against our moral and emotional being before we feel we have to come out and say something.
And each of us has a different tolerance level for these sorts of things, right? Sometimes, we feel as if we can let things go, while at other times, even the slightest infraction can set us off.
How do we know when to push back and when not to?
Well, it totally depends on the situation. But, a great lesson I've learned is to go with the "Wait and Check" strategy. It's a simple idea; here's how it works:
First, give yourself twenty-four hours to think things over. Is the situation as dire as you initially thought it would be? Will speaking up accomplish your initial goals or detract from them? What have you learned in those first twenty-four hours?
If you still feel like "enough is enough" after that time, run your ideas by someone else (that's the "check" part). Sometimes our emotions blind us to how the words we plan to use might impact someone. Often a simple "check my thinking" can help us shift our tactics and our approach so that we don't do more harm than good. And sometimes, "checking in" is enough to help us see why we can't push back at a given moment, or sometimes, why we need to actually push back harder than we at first thought.
Often, we do reach a point where we need to do something. But, the good news is that often we don't have to do it alone. With ample time to reflect, and those we trust to bounce our ideas off of, we can often adjust to what feels bad, and end up with an outcome that feels good.