Speak up, the world is listening.

Reflections on taking up space and sharing your wins

I’ve been told that I should be more vocal about what I do and share my wins. It’s never been easy for me to do this.

There was always some reason to hide or push my success under the rug. It felt unnecessary to talk about myself in a way that amplified my wins. Although I’m the first person to encourage folks to share their strengths….for myself? I hold myself back. Talking about myself felt egotistical, selfish, not important.

This year I’m trying to change that.

from @lavenderthebook

I’m working on worrying less about what people might think about me acknowledging my wins. I’m no longer dimming my light because one person might think it’s too bright. I’m encouraging myself to keep an archive of where I’ve grown and excelled because it matters to me.

I chose to silence myself and my accomplishments in pursuit of humility, and (temporarily) lost the ability to speak my power into reality. I am relearning how to be proud of where I am and what I’ve done.

By no means am I exactly where I want to be with my life, but I think that’s the exciting part of it. I don’t have to wait until I reach some made-up finish line to talk about something that made me smile or make room to share the things I’m most proud of along the way.

I’m dreaming up the possibility of existing in my joy and singing my praises without always looking over my shoulder to see who’s watching.

What if I let myself bask in success without fear?

Something I’ve been reflecting on:

• Who benefits from me not showing up?

• Who wins when I hold myself back?

• What would change if I let go of this fear?

• What if I let go of perceiving my success through the eyes of anyone else but my own?

• What messages do I need to unlearn to deepen this practice?

When I originally shared this sentiment on my IG stories, I was validated by a full inbox of friends and followers sharing their own stories of holding themselves back or encouraging me to shine my light.

I’m sad for those of us who struggle to see value in sharing the good, but I’m grateful that there is momentum in community. We hold each other accountable with love and care.

When we open our hearts to the vulnerable self-expression of our success, we allow for big friendships and good energy. When we show up with pride and loving care, we teach ourselves and others that it is okay to be exactly who we are.

When we practice sharing our greatness, we teach ourselves that we are valuable and deserving, even in our imperfect stages.

Reminder:

• You are deserving of praise and recognition, even when things are unfinished.

• You can be a work of art, even if the canvas is still in progress.

If there’s anything I’ve learned from this reflection, it is to speak up: the world is listening. Share your wins. Talk about your success. Live in your excellence. Show up, even when it feels uncomfortable and the words feel heavy in your mind. You deserve to take up space.

— Meg

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