Stand your ground

Own your opinions with pride

Your thoughts (48)

You are stronger than you think you are. There’s a certain power inside you. It gives you the courage to have your say about anything. How the world should work, what you want to be in the future, and so on.

But some people won’t agree with your opinions. Especially if your opinions are different from theirs. Some people think girls and women shouldn’t have opinions and goals. They think girls and women should sit down and keep quiet. These people will try to force you to change your mind. They may even say hurtful things to you. Or question your right to speak your mind and be ambitious.

In times like this, stand your ground and own your opinions. You shouldn’t back away just to please anyone. Or change your mind so people will say you’re cool. We all see things differently. That’s why we disagree sometimes.

Yes, it’s important to have your own opinions. But it can be tricky when you’re the only one in your community with those opinions. However, that’s what makes you unique. You’re a full human being with your own views and ideas.

So when next anyone wants you to change your opinion, take a deep breath. Then count from one to ten in your head. Afterwards, repeat your opinion in a calm voice. Don’t yell. If you feel you’re in danger, leave immediately. Report the person to a trusted adult.

Remember, your voice is your most powerful weapon. It belongs to you and you alone. Nobody should tell you otherwise.

If you want to be the first female basketball player in your community, go for it. Yes you can and you will, girl! Don’t listen to those who’ll say it’s impossible. Instead, focus on achieving your goal. Work towards it bit by bit. You can begin by practising every day. Or confiding in someone who believes in you. Just be consistent; it’ll pay off in the end.

Want to read more inspiring stories like this one? Then head to our Springster Facebook page and connect with a community of girls just like you! - https://www.facebook.com/heyspringster

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Your thoughts

hi big sister am new hear

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

but wot if ur ur parents disagree with ur own opinion

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

I thanks god for everything in my life an I love funke akindele

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

Hi big sis I have a problem there's a friend of my (male) we know each other for a while now but when ever I didn't call or chat with him he will not call me please what will I do

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

Latest Reply

Hey Joy! Talk to him about it and let him know how you feel about his lack of communication. Communication is very important in every type of relationship, even friendship. We hope this helps

i have d same problem too.

relationships are meant to be two sided. so if he doesn't call too to check up on you. then you should really be careful tho

may b he's havin financial challenges, verify it

Big sis I have a guy but his is my brother friend and I like him we have chatting for a while now just a friend but every time we chatting he keeps saying things dat makes feel like am too small and dependent please sis what will do

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

Latest Reply

Hey Springster! Thanks for the comment. Anyone that makes you feel less of yourself is not worth it. You like him doesn't automatically mean that you both are compatible. He sees you as a young girl and there is really nothing that can change that. You may have to move on at this point because he doesn't see you the way you see him. We hope this helps

u try dear

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

Big sis,i have s

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

big sis,have not been comfortable with my crush,i keep thinking of him,i do send him text messages with a hiding number,i dont know what to do.should i tell him how i feel about him?i seriously need your reply.

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

Latest Reply

Hey Iris! Thanks for opening up through this comment. You have a crush and crushes tend to die after a while. You will definitely get over it but this feeling is normal. The best you can do is to get to know him better and also get to understand him better. We hope this helps

big sis.. am 22 years old now, i had a very serious injury after my ssce which made me unable to continue with my education, my dad is a police superintendent (asp).. he insist i become a police officer.. cos thats what i always wanted to become, before i had this injury which has healed now, leaving just a scar on my left leg.. i gave my whole life to computer and music.. 'i sing very well'.. but my parents are not interested in me because i chose that part, now am out from home and jobles.. am living in confusion nw.

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

Latest Reply

Hey oberdblake! Thanks for the comment. We are so sorry for what you are going through right now. We understand how hard this is for you to survive on your own. We will have to refer you to a professional for this. You can speak to professionals who can give good advice to your questions at the Child Advocacy Centre for young people on 08 00 80 08 00 1. This service is completely confidential - which means they won't share what you say to them with other people. It is free which means you do not need to have credit before calling them. We wish you all the best and we hope this helps

big sis i hav a school crush but when ever he comes close 2 me i feel uncomfortable wat wil do

March 20, 2022, 7:58 p.m.

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Hey Petra! It is perfectly normal. When you have a crush, it is normal to be uncomfortable around someone you have a crush on. You just need to learn to be confident and comfortable so that you do not feel awkward around him. We hope this helps

Big sister, when I wanted to enrolled for ssce, my dad was like , I should register for science not art. Then I love gover't. It became an issue at home until the deal day for enrolment came for the first time in phone I told I was going to enrol art course, but before then I told him that if I should enrol science he would be the one ti write it. So he allowed go with my choice. Now I'm studying Mass Communication.

March 20, 2022, 7:57 p.m.

Latest Reply

Awesome girl!. My dad wanted to force me to read chemistry, I gave him the finger and registered for law. Should be in UI by the end of the year. He doesn't have the right to mar your dreams. Go for what you're comfortable with. God luck!

big sis,am fed up.no good house,no good food,no good cloth,no good school.you may be thinking dat am lying but this is reality,the most painful part of it is how to pay for my neco in which i dnt have any means or way of getting money.big sis,pls help me cos i dnt know what to do as a girl .

March 20, 2022, 7:57 p.m.

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Please this has never happened to me but I know how u feel, start up some trade with what u have and pls pray. Thanks and be a springster bye!

I have a friend whose problems are similar. Irresponsible parents, same meals every day or no meals if she does not cook clean and wash her family's clothes. No good clothes to speak of, I give her mine and she eats whatever we cook at home. I begged my mom to pay for her neco. She has been banned from seeing her mother who is in another town. If you need advice friend, please keep your goal in mind; is it to leave your place or condition now?. Your answer is staring at you in the face, and you just have to focus to see it. Are you academically smart?, there are people whose main jobs are to help those in your position. If not; your neco will have to wait for a while. Be an apprentice in a trade and open your shop; in my school neco is 20,000. If you can raise enough in a year from now, that's good. Please remember ; NOTHING should distract you. My friend got side tracked and is now suffering for it. I wish you luck dear

Am new here how do I know wen I got a message

March 20, 2022, 7:57 p.m.

Making our own decision and holding onto it sometime its important.

March 20, 2022, 7:57 p.m.

Hey big sist am new here ..Well you see,am a girl dat always go for something head on when I desire it . I want to be an engineer but some people keeps telling me that it's too big for me while others are discouraging me to not go for it.Pls tell me what to do

March 20, 2022, 7:57 p.m.

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Hey Tamar! Thanks for the comment. There is nothing like too big when it comes to dreams.. You need to know that your dreams are valid and anyone that tells you that you can't do it is not your friend. Being an engineer is good and if that is what you really want for yourself, it is even better. No one should tell you what to do and what not to do as far as your dreams are concerned. Since that is what you want for yourself, please go for it like a boss that you are. We see you at the top. You are a star girl, please do not let anyone dim your light. Plus it looks like you need a new circle of friends. We hope this helps

Hi bigsis is it good 2 stand your ground while fighting?

March 20, 2022, 7:57 p.m.

i'd alwayz loved to learn marshal art, but no one ever listened to me especially my family members saying i'm a girl that its forbiden 4 me to do a man's work unless i want to take d shape of a man. but by reading this, i would ignore everyone in my path nd stand my ground untill i achieve my dream.

March 20, 2022, 7:57 p.m.

Hy big sister, There is this friend of mine,we've been friends for close to Six months now. When he came to me he asked me if we could be special friends.i didn't know what he meant by that but I accepted since he said 'friends' Right now I don't like how the relationship is going. Because to me it does not look like ordinary friendship it's like a bf-gf relationship. Sometimes when we are together he offers to kiss me and I give in sheepishly(i do regret this moments) because I feel I'm too young for that although he is older than me. Please big sister I need your help! I still want us to be good friends but I don't want this affair to continue (how do I go about this and tell him without him getting angry) I've told him many times that I don't like it but he says he loves me.i even decided not to talk to him some time ago but we were together again. Help... I'm in a dilemma

March 20, 2022, 7:57 p.m.

Latest Reply

First of all, let him know you mean it. He can't read your thoughts. Tell him you're not happy in the relationship and that you'll prefer to be just close friends with him(let him know that you're dead serious). If he dosn't want to accept this, I'll advice you to leave him entirely because he is only considering himself so he dosn't love you as he claims because love is not selfish, it is patient. Sorry it's coming late. I just saw it now.

Hi big sister, i have a bf who said he wants to marry me after our education but he is always mad at me anytime I answer a call from male friends, he don't want me to associate with my male friends anymore, he always want me to do whatever he says rather than my own decision. What should I do?

March 20, 2022, 7:57 p.m.

Latest Reply

Any relationship should be bent on trust and by the looks of it, he dosn't trust you.... My advice? disengage.

Anonymous you're right though.

Hey Beauty123! Trust is a very important thing when it comes to relationships. The fact that he wants to marry you but he wants you to cut off all forms of communication with your male friends means that he does not trust you and he is also very insecure. This means that he will do more when you eventually marry you. Being in a relationship should not be a cage nor a trap. Please, you need to also be sure that you are ready to marry to and not because you feel you do not want to lose him. Please be careful. We hope this helps

hey big sis, its been a while. its an intresting topic,i was once a member of j.v.c(junior viking confretenity)member because of pear presure. back in school i was an introvert,shy and akward in a kind of way, i became a member because i was scared of bullies, but the main reason why i joined was because i could't say no, it scared me like hell,after school i have to be the first today or last cause of them....but when it got to a point, i channeled my inner demon. i confronted them and made my stand.lol i barely made it out alive but ever since then. i dont believe anyone can ever make me do what i dont want again......#moral of my story is that its not always easy to make a stand on what u believe in, like how can u make a stand when u dont even fit in?, but by isha allah. with self determination i dont think anyone can be force by pear presure to go against his/her better judgement.

March 20, 2022, 7:57 p.m.

Hey big sis.I want to work n earn money for myself. And 4 my future. I also want to learn Hand crafts ,just be4 I proceed into Uni next year. But my parents won't let me .They will me my sister didn't leave the family's business n now she's in school. My Mum always gave her money to meet her needs.My sis had alot of freedom. But I have non.To my folks,my opinions are invalid. Mum doesn't see the need to give me keeps (or maybe she does but just hate me.She even told my stepdad

March 20, 2022, 7:57 p.m.

Latest Reply

Hey Springster! You do not need to feel bad about this. Your sister is obviously older than you and the way Nigerian homes are, the older one always gets more independence. Your mum does not hate you, she just probably feels like you are too young to go into all of these. Do not let this hurt you. Your sister is not at home so she obviously needs money to meet her needs but you are at home and you have your mum to take care of you. She does not hate you in any way. You will be surprised that your sister may even be jealous of the love and care you get while at home. We advise that you talk to your mum about this and tell her how you feel. We hope this helps

big sis please help me.... I love my boy friend so much but I don't know if he feels the same and sometimes I get this feeling that he is a flirt. right now I want break up with him but I still love him... what do I do

March 20, 2022, 7:57 p.m.

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Hey classy! Thanks for the comment. This is a personal decision and it is up to you to make. What makes you feel like he is a flirt? You have to get your facts right and then make a decision based on this. We hope this helps

I building for mygirl to love me

March 20, 2022, 7:57 p.m.

lovely and sweet girl

March 20, 2022, 7:57 p.m.

Hey springsters! I'm finally 13 and my mom told me to choose between making of hair and bakery. Please what should I choose?

March 20, 2022, 7:57 p.m.

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Hey Fortune! Thanks for the comment. This is a personal decision and up to you to make. We advise you to choose the one that you have more interest in and one that you are more comfortable with too. We wish you all the best. We hope this helps

Big sis hello For sometime now i hv been into lesbianism I don't like it at all and i want to stop pls big sis help me I don't know wat else to do I confided in an adult and i gt advised then i stopped it for a while but now am back to it Pls big sis help a springster I don't want to continue like dis Thanks

March 20, 2022, 7:57 p.m.

Latest Reply

Hey Smash! Thanks for the comment. The truth about stopping an addiction like this is that you need to be fully ready to stop it. There is little or nothing anyone can do but to give you advise. It is in your power to stop or even continue it. Make up your mind and then cut off everyone and everything that is linked to it so that you do not get tempted to go back (this includes your friends). The most important thing is your will. You have to be strong-willed to get over this. We hope this helps

NYC article 💜💜💜

March 20, 2022, 7:57 p.m.

Hi room

March 20, 2022, 7:56 p.m.