Pipe up, Sing out, Say it.

I’ve done this. I’ve been silent. I like both. Each in its time. It’s mysterious when which becomes what.

I told our team what I thought our approach should be to the problem we’re wrestling with at work. Once the bosses had their pow-wow, they announced how it’s going to be. Turns out they chose my approach.

I have been taking more initiative at work and especially with previously mentioned project. I found myself stepping up to the plate and moving our newly assembled team’s meeting along, guiding everyone through the architectural plans. It just needed to happen at that point, nobody asked me ahead of time to do this, so I didn’t waste any energy on anticipatory anxiety.

My co-workers have been generous with expressing their appreciation of my role in getting the project back on track. It makes me feel proud to be a valued part of this effort.

I noticed that this past year I often allowed others’ dismissive attitudes to shut me up.

If I’d stuck to my guns, more forcefully, with the courage of my convictions, instead of backing into passivity for the sake of peace…we’d all be better off now.

Seriously, around me, know-it-all co-workers and friends are all in panics now, finally allowing me to bring on my resources, which blow their lame, late-running, underqualified, problem-causing pseudo-solutions right out of the water. Thing is, it might be too late for who/what I brought in to be able to save the situation(s). If I’d been more pushy, less vulnerable to put-downs, we’d have been moving toward success for a while already. Now we see the light at the end of the tunnel, but with such unfair time pressures on my resources, my connections, my self.

I’m going to try and catch myself with consciousness in these circumstances more often, and work out plans to bolster myself instead of backing down.