How to Find Your Voice

Happy Women's Day everyone! I'm a day late for this. I wasn't feeling well yesterday. I thought it would be important to share something I learned through the years - finding my voice and being able to speak up. 

I am an introvert. It takes me so long to warm up to a new person (even to people I know for a long time). I got my current job because I role played. I put my best foot forward. I guess I resembled an extroverted person. When I first met my manager in the US he was surprised to find me so quiet. I was so overwhelmed back then and ended up being my observant self. 

I'm lucky though because through the years I had managers who understood how best to manage introverts. They showed me that my thoughts and ideas mattered. The most important advise I got was, "Be yourself." I thought I needed to keep "role playing". I was relieved that I could just be myself. 

Be yourself. You matter. 

That's how you find your voice. Just be yourself and know that you matter. I had the additional challenge of being an introvert. As an introvert, I normally think and practice what I want to say before I speak. That's my nature. I realized I had to stop analyzing and judging everything I wanted to say. I also saw I had good ideas and that added to my confidence. 

It took me years to find my voice. The quest started when my graduate school thesis panelist said, "You have it in you, just find your voice and build your confidence." That was 16 years ago. I still don't like speaking in public, recitation (being put on the spot), being in large crowds and meeting so many people at the same time. I manage now because I just remind myself to be me and that I matter. 

CB///334 #StuckAtHomeDay/364 #StayHome #BeKind