Thread by @megmacdoodle

For the longest time I struggled with my voice.

At work, I had so many opinions and ideas.
But I refused to say anything.

"I don't have the right words to say."
"What I know isn't worth hearing."

I didn't want to say something that might make me look stupid.

My counselor challenged me to share 1 thing in every meeting for a whole week.

It was the most terrifying thing of my life.

I got a bad case of dry mouth and felt like I was going to faint.

But I did it.

And then I did it for one more week.

And another.

The ideas I shared didn’t make the company millions of dollars.

Nor did I get promoted.

But I learned something valuable.

I was holding myself to a standard of perfectionism I didn’t hold anyone else to but myself.

I believed I couldn’t say anything at work unless it was a slam-dunk.

What a lie.

Now I embrace more open conversations.
I admit when I don’t know something.

I’m okay with not having all the answers, because I realized no one really knows what they’re doing.

To anyone who's scared to break the silence:

1. Share your thoughts.
2. Start small.
3. Be bold.

You never know what’ll happen or who you’ll inspire until you try.

What's one way you can start small and use your voice today?

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