Speak Your Loud

            So last year I saw on Instagram that some people were picking one word to carry with them into the new year. I thought this was a great idea; something to have has your mindset and be intentional with. I had three I was considering. But the one that needs to be the focus of 2024 should come as no surprise – VOICE. Something I also highly encourage to be a part of your 2024.  But I do have to warn you. People will criticize you for speaking up. Especially if you are a woman. If they do this, remember it’s just a reflection on them. It’s easier than correcting the problem or issue they know is wrong, then to put any effort in to solve it. There are some other…cautions. Using your voice is not easy. It’s going to be hard, and at times will be uncomfortable. It can be lonely and people will say you are negative or argumentative. You MUST push this aside and keep going. It’s going to feel like a boulder in quick sand,  but trus...

Is everyone just using the black and gray crayons from the box? Yawn. It seems that way from all the social media posts I see. Especially on LinkedIn. Everyone is posting how to do this, that, or the other.  Boring.  Then there seems to be never ending polls.  Why?  Carousels that are rides and supposed to be for fun, are turning into things I want to hide from my feed. Everyone is turning their attention to one dreaded common denominator; the algorithm. All these voices are the same. They are all blending together like a toddler using crayons for the first time. Rarely do I see anything unique. Voices that stand for something, push boundaries, ask questions to get people thinking. I am so tired of society dictating we all stay in the same lane; driving so fast to some made up quantifiable destination that is already so overcrowded. It is time to stop speeding for some imaginary number of the day. It is time to start slowing down and really think about your voice. Wh...

The past few days we have had some intense weather changes. From a record high of 86 degrees with sun, then withering down to 36 degrees with snow flurries. A fifty degree drop in just two days. And just like the weather, your voice can and will alter in variety. Sometimes in a short time. As it should. Because things cannot grow without an assortment of change. You can have fiery passion one day. You will stand with your head held high, shoulders back, and just radiate warm confidence and beam down encouragement to others; helping them stand a little taller and stronger. But the very next day, you may feel gray and chilly. Everything you might say just falls right to the ground, gets murky, and pushed to the side to make room for other things. And that is perfectly ok. Just like we need Mother Nature’s array to nurture our environment; an array with our voice is needed to nurture our community. But when weather takes a turn with unfavorable conditions, it can be easy and convenient to...

       I won’t lie. Using your voice in the beginning is not easy. I was quiet for the most part when I was in my younger years. Sure, I talked back to my parents in the typical pre-teen, teenage fashion…but really standing up for myself and others? Nope.       Was. Not. Happening.      Looking back, there were soooo many times that was the wrong choice. We always say we do things and base decisions with what we know and have at that moment; and that is true up to a point. But when you know something is not right; when you can feel it, when you don’t need anything or anyone else to solidify what you already know, then you really don’t have any excuses to not take action.       My excuses back then that were not really excuses -      Did I want to ruffle feathers? No.        Did I want people to see and think of me differently? Of course not.      Did I wan...

     Your voice is like an earthquake, and maybe it’s time to use it like one. Earthquakes can sometimes be very small and we may not even feel the rumble. Other times, they create little waves of uneasiness and unbalance. Your voice is the same way; you can start small and see what kind of waves (if any) are made. Will you get a smile, or an eye roll? An embrace or a pushback? Acceptance or rejection?      By starting small, you can get a feel of how someone may react to you and see if and when you might need to make a more powerful punch. You see, a small earthquake is a warning; something is happening and you may want to pay attention.      Your voice is the same way. There is something important to you, but you are not sure how to get the attention it needs. If you create a bit of a ripple, even if one person pays attention, you are already on the right track. Your voice may even be slightly shaky and uneven, just like a smaller earthquak...

       Your head doesn’t move an inch, your eyes skim from side to side, your hands are fidgeting, body is shifting…isn’t there anyone who sees a problem with xyz situation, comment, procedure, event, etc.?       So many times, we can find ourselves knowing a situation isn’t right; wondering who else might say something…but all there seems to be is deafening silence. The seconds go into minutes, then all of a sudden, the meeting or conversation ends and there is a progression in the wrong direction starting to happen.      People do not always do what is best; they sometimes do what is easy, what is convenient so they can move along to the next thing on the agenda. This is not ok…this makes exclusion, inequality, and separation more prevalent.       Whether it be online or in person, so many times we kick ourselves for knowing better, but not actually doing better. Why are we letting the wrong things still win? ...