How’s your breath today? I bet while reading that sentence you suddenly found yourself taking a deep breath. I also bet that it was probably the first deep breath you’ve taken all day.

How are you in general? We’ve all been forced to adapt to an unimaginable amount of change throughout these past few months, all while living in constant fear of an ongoing existential and physical threat.

Duuuuude…it’s a lot and you are doing amazing work moving through it all.

But…I’m actually not here to talk about COVID times. There’s enough talk about that going on. I’d like to talk about something else that’s been on my mind for a while now.

A few weeks ago I saw a quote that said “Everybody gets to have a voice, but not everybody gets to have a microphone.” The author was implying that just because we all have equal access to social media and other channels for speaking up and being heard, it does not mean that everyone should have an equal share in thought leadership.

This is a really complex idea that deserves some careful consideration, but I’ll need you to forgive me while I gloss over it for the moment.

Because what this quote really got me thinking about is how many people should have a bigger share in thought leadership, but don’t. I can’t stop thinking about how many people have really meaningful things to say that would, in fact, positively impact the world around them…but they are too afraid to speak up.

How much wisdom, and healing, and creativity, and intellect, and unimaginably innovative delights are hidden in the brains of people who just don’t feel safe to share them?

Woah. Just typing that nearly knocks the wind right out of me.

I work with some of the most well-educated, experienced, intellectually savvy people the world has to offer and yet time and time again I hear things like:

• “I’m not sure my ideas are good enough.”
• “I don’t know if I’ll say what they want to hear.”
• “I’m comfortable when I have to speak to the data, but I have a hard time in brainstorming sessions.”

I can’t even imagine the amount of progress, evolution and growth that is being lost because people with this hard-earned knowledge, these amazing ideas, and this highly refined intuition, people like you (and me) just don’t grab that microphone.

Let me tell you this:

• Your ideas – even when not fully formed, are good enough. Share. Iterate. Repeat.
• You have permission to say what YOU want to hear, and thus lead the charge on new ways of thinking about issues.
• Brainstorming is a ‘storm’ that begins with the brain. Storms are messy. Your messy and imperfect thoughts are a vital component of the process of creating something new.

It’s your turn to grab the microphone.

You can be afraid. That’s ok. I’m afraid a lot of the time, too.

It’s more important that you show up. Be afraid, and show up for it anyway.

If we are going to turn this world into the place it can truly be, we need all hands on deck. We need brave people like you to speak up on all sorts of new things.

This world needs your contributions. It’s time to get to it.

Sending you all my love during these super crazy weird times. You’ve totally got this.