It was the second night in a row I woke up at 2am unable to fall back asleep. I was ruminating about a situation. Playing a movie in my mind of what happened and how I should respond, then anticipating what the other person would say.
I woke up the next morning, and journaled about it.
I knew my inability to let it go was a sign I had to speak up. But I had to be sure that I was approaching the conversation with empathy for the other person involved. I needed to let go of the script I crafted and focus on the essence of the point I was striving to make. Otherwise, I wouldn't succeed at addressing my concerns.
Ruminating, worrying, stressing and lost sleep are all signs it's time to speak up.
I often work with professionals who are struggling to find and use their voice. They're afraid to speak up for a variety of reasons. They don't want to hurt someone's feelings. They worry about a backlash or a fall out. They don't know how to interject their thoughts or feelings into a conversation. They might not even be sure what their point is. So they stay quiet and fester.
Each of these situations can be disorienting. And yet, if it's bothering you. If you can't stop thinking about. If you can't stop talking about it with your partner or friends. You're in luck, you just identified a trip wire - like the wedding officiant who says, "speak now or forever hold your peace."
Except you're not holding your peace because you're reeling inside.
It's time to speak up. Find your voice. Use your words. Express yourself. Advocate. Request. Assert. And instigate the positive change you're so desiring to experience.
See, it's a simple sign! Of course, what you do with that sign and how you choose to speak up is another matter all together. Perhaps I'll share more about what to do next in a future blog post - if your curious, please by all means, speak up to me. I'm open and willing to receive your feedback and questions!
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