I don’t know about you but for someone as talkative as myself I found it hard to actually speak up and say what needed to be said.
I could easily make conversation and talk about easy conversational topics about my home life and children and work. But when it came to really addressing some important issues I found it hard to be that vulnerable. I would often avoid the issue and start another conversation or even leave so as not to have to confront the challenge because I was afraid of the consequences of saying the “wrong thing”, being yelled at or disappointing the person involved.
What about you?
Have you found it hard to start that conversation and really deal with the issues that are affecting you or your relationship with the person involved?
We are also dealing with this on a much broader level at the moment in our society in regard to the “Black Lives Matter” campaign.
In not speaking up, believing that the issue was too big, or not mine, or to hard to know what to say, many of us, white and privileged people have remained silent when we could have lent our strength and voice to these issues.
We are all learning now how important this is for us individually, for us as a society and for all those who are imprisoned, kept down and killed because of the colour of their skin.
More than ever it’s important that we speak up for what we believe in. That as individuals and a society we find our voice and use it for the betterment of all of us.
Here are my top tips in overcoming the fear of standing up and Speaking Up:
Good luck and may your Soul shine through in all circumstances.