Don't overstay your welcome. There are seats at better tables, I promise.
So I played around with the title and wording of this Blog Post for far to long before I realized "Here I am tip toeing around people's thoughts and feelings once again"...
So here it is--
I can remember working at Auntie Anne's pretzels in high school, and my supervisor Takeya telling me "You're not stuck, you're never stuck. Never allow a person or a place to make you feel as though there is no way out." And somehow I've always kept that in the back of my mind.
Well until this past year...
And I wouldn't dare bore you with all the details and happenings of the last 10 months. Honestly it's irrelevant, but I will share what I've learned:
4 lessons I've learned in the past 10 months that we ALL need to learn
And before I start, I can admit it wasn't all bad---- But it wasn't all good either.
Go where you are APPRECIATED not where you're tolerated.
Stop filing spaces for the sake of filling a space. Find places that appreciate you as an individual. Fill spaces where you are celebrated for your gifts and talents. Go where you're allowed to be yourself, where you're not constantly compared to the next person.
There are far too many people comfortable being complacent
People tend to do things they've "always done" for the sake of comfort, even if it is not in the best interest of the collective. These same people will look at you funny when you question their thoughts, actions, or intentions. Let people be complacent by themselves.
Advocacy starts with Self Validation
Believe in your own abilities and worth first so you're not depending on someone else's validation. Not believing in yourself will allow you to be susceptible to people's manipulation. When you make a decision or voice an opinion that is opposite of what "they" deem as correct --- you're looked at as the problem. It is not nor will it ever be your responsibility to fit into someone else's mold.
--- & last but, certainly not least...
Stay out of your own way
We cannot wait on someone to hand us the things that we desire. We have to go out and get it. Stop letting fear hold you back from better opportunities.
If you only take on thing away from this BLOG POST please let it be this....
Don't overstay your welcome, sis. There are seats at better tables, I promise.
