Push Back: Live, Love, and Work with Others Without Losing Yourself
This is an excellent book for everyone. Period. While much of the language and case studies focus on those who identify as women, author Tonya Lester has written a book to support everyone in situations where they need to push back against those who silence their voices, opinions, behaviors, and preferences.
When everything you do (or don’t do) revolves around pleasing others, it can lead to repressed individuality, emotional frustration, or even worse, illness.
The Pushback Assessment introduced earlier proves useful in gauging your current state. I appreciate the term ‘shock-absorbing’ she uses to describe when peace-keeping behavior turns into being taken advantage of. Conversely, shock magnets focus solely on themselves and are adept at fishing out and creating one-sided relationships with shock absorbers. There are additional useful terms and exercises throughout, including reframing questions and challenging the inner critic. She also includes sidebars with suggestions on what to say when you gently push back.
This is one of the few self-help books I’ve read where the author does an excellent job of using case studies.
They are not just fillers but vivid examples of these different concepts in action, combined with behavior-focused strategies and solutions to help women become assertive. These examples address the root of the issues—including resentment, jealousy, blame, fear, gaslighting, infidelity, sexism, and more.
Self-respect grows when you speak up and gently push back.
Tonya teaches healthy ways to do that along with push back techniques centered around choice and positive change. This book contains the tools needed to learn how to gently assert yourself. With Push Back, you’ll learn how to confidently express your thoughts and needs with the goal of developing respectful and mutually beneficial relationships—at home, in the community, and at work.
Book and Image Courtesy of New World Library
