It's time to Bloom!

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom-Anais-Nin

The fear of the unknown is one of the greatest reasons why we don't change. Whether it's an organization failing to look deeply at their institutional structures that may hinder equitable opportunities for leadership OR as individuals suffering through not living to our potential, the pain will eventually become too great. As humans, we often wait until there's a societal or an internal spiritual uprising to change, much of what we are seeing right now. The pain became too much to bear.

Take time to assess where you are and what changes you need to make in your organization or life to truly blossom. Don't wait until the pain becomes so great and decisions literally become a matter of life or death. When you take a step towards progress, face the unknown you will find that it is not that scary after all. Knowing exactly all the steps forward is a little overrated, you squander the adventures of the journey.

#change #changeleadership #shirellspeaks #courageousleadership #blossom #change

Be grounded in humility

Take it on Tuesday

Humility, that low, sweet root, from which all heavenly virtues shoot.-Thomas Moore

Have you ever taken the time to really understand humility? Humility can mean so many things, but one thing is clear it is deeply connected to our ego-self. We are given inconsistent messages, be humble but be prideful. Be humble, but define your worth solely on ego standards of success and riches. Be humble, but have a high view of yourself so that others will respect you. Be humble, but treat others as if they are less important than you.

In reality, you must guard yourself on being controlled by the ego-self because it will fool you into inflated self-importance and make you dangerously proud. For me humility is a state of being, not actions. I strive for sincere humility every day so that I can be open to learning, growing, and supporting others. My humility is the source of my strength, not my ego.

Life will have changes, so will the people in your life, jobs, your importance to others, successes, etc it will all change over time. I have seen “great” people and institutions fall and “lower” rise.

But when you seek a spirit of true humility you need not worry. Why? You will move your ego out of the way and you will SEE and BE OPEN for what is on the horizon in your life.

#humility #grounded #shirellspeaks #purpose

Stop playing small to make others look big

Motivational Monday!

If you are confident about your strength, you don’t need to show me by putting someone else down, show me how strong you are that you can lift someone else up-President Barack Obama

I was once talking to a friend about why she left her “big” job. I thought she was doing well where she was and her departure surprised me. She told me plain and simple, she was tired of playing small so that others around her can look bigger. I was so proud of her because the moment she made that decision an even bigger and better opportunity came and she is thriving. We often “play” small to make others more comfortable, to be less threatening, and/or to be seen as a team player. While I can not speak to every situation in this blog, you know when you are playing small. You have that nagging sick feeling in your stomach that you brush aside in order to keep the peace.

I know that feeling and I have been guilty of playing small myself to survive. Unfortunately, in doing so subconsciously I accepted the limited thoughts that then soon plagued my brain. Yes, there will be times when you have to politically navigate situations for a greater outcome. However, consistently playing small will not serve you and you will eventually become the role you are playing. A person who requires you to be small will never champion you for greater things. They are insecure and not strong enough to handle your greatness. If this is you, your first step is to gain awareness of when you are playing small and the second step is to take intentional actions to stop playing small. If you need support to seek it, you will be better off and the future leaders need you to show up in your full power.

Photo by Kiana Bosman