Dear friends, There's a reason speaking up in meetings feels like more than just a professional skill. It's because it is. Yes — when you speak with clarity and confidence in a room, good things happen. People notice. Opportunities shift. Your ideas land. But that's the surface. The deeper reason speaking up matters isn't about what it does for your career. It's about what it does to the fear. Most of us were conditioned early. Listen. Don't interrupt. Wait your turn. Respect

Dear friends, Early in my career, there were meetings where I knew exactly what I wanted to say. And I didn’t say it. Not because I wasn’t prepared. Not because I lacked insight. But because I wasn’t sure the room would agree. Somewhere inside, I had quietly decided that if they didn’t agree with me, I had failed. That belief will silence you faster than a lack of skill ever will. What I’ve learned since is this: you don’t need their agreement. You need your own. In high-pres

Dear friends, There was a time when criticism terrified me. Not because people said mean things — but because part of me agreed . That’s the uncomfortable truth underneath most of our fear of judgment: We’re not really afraid of their disapproval. We’re afraid we’ll believe it. People are fickle. One day they’ll cheer you on. The next, they’ll tear you down. You can’t control that. But here’s what you can control: The way you feel about yourself. And this isn’t some abstract

Dear friends, I remember many days when I was angry at myself for not speaking up. Once, someone asked me to do something in a work setting — a quick question — and I rapidly agreed, even though it wasn’t true to what I actually wanted. Not because I was afraid. Not because I didn’t know. But because I wanted their approval. Later that night, I was replaying the conversation in my mind. You know the feeling — I should’ve said this. I wish I’d said that.  All the perfect words

Dear friends, The moment you notice you’ve lost your center… you’ve already found it again. Because awareness is the way back. If you’ve set goals for this new year — to speak up more often, to stay grounded in high-pressure meetings, to share your truth even when it’s hard — you’ve probably already experienced the moment where your center slips away. You say something you don’t mean. You go quiet when you wish you hadn’t. You leave the room thinking, That wasn’t really me.