You do not have to accept unacceptable behavior.

Let me share an experience that solidified this truth for me.

One time, I was on an interpreting assignment where it was known that the man I was working with was degrading to female interpreters. I went in knowing this, but what happened was still shocking.

During a break between sessions, someone from the audience came up and talked to me. They asked how I learned sign language—it was a typical question, something that happens all the time.

Out of nowhere, the man I was working with whistled at me like I was a dog!?

And he told me: "COME ON!"

I turned to the person I was speaking with and said, "Apparently, I'm not allowed to talk to others."

And then I did what I had to do—I finished out the day. I made sure I did an excellent job interpreting because that’s what I was there to do.

But once the day was over, I knew I had to do something.

I told him directly, "That was not acceptable." Then, I immediately reached out to the agency that had sent me on the assignment and told them, "I will not work with this man ever again."

The point I want to make today is this: stand up for yourself.

You don’t need to be treaded on, and you definitely don’t need to be treated like a dog. You're worth so much more than that.

So, if you’re ever in a situation where someone is disrespecting you, take a moment to really think about how you can empower yourself to take care of yourself.

Stand up for who you are, because you deserve to be treated with respect.

I hope you have an amazing day!

Today we are continuing our study of Don Miguel Ruiz's The Four Agreements.

The next agreement is: Be Impeccable With Your Words.

Being impeccable with your words means being careful of what you say.

In Al-Anon, I believe they say "Mean what you say. Say what you mean. Just don't say it mean".

So, you can be impeccable with your words for others.

AND also be impeccable with your words about yourself.

Are you being loving and kind to yourself? Are you being loving and kind to others?

Being kind can really help with relationships and your self esteem.

So this week, be kind to yourself, be kind to others, and be impeccable with your words. 

I'm coming to you this week from Mission Wolf Sanctuary in Colorado. This week I woke up to my carbon monoxide detector going off. Watch the video to learn more.

I've been trying really hard not to use my generator because this sanctuary is a sustainable farm. They use solar energy, and I don't want to have noise pollution which will bother the wolves.

But I let it go so low last night that my carbon monoxide detector went off at 4:30 in the morning. The head of the sanctuary told me I was going to kill my battery, which means I won't be able to ever get out of here.

So, I had to plug in my generator today for the first time in 4 days. I'm trying my best, but I have to remember that I have to take care of myself, too. 

Let this be a lesson to you that you can try your best to take care of everyone else, but if you don't take care of yourself too, you're going to totally kill your own battery and eventually will burn out.