Do It For The Plot

Very ironic that a professional yapper like me would stumble upon this enlightening concept. But honestly who better than the girl who spent years exhausting herself, tending to bruises from countless preventable battles, all thanks to an inability to just shut up?

There was a time when I felt physically incapable of staying silent if I had a strong opinion. My brain would loop it on repeat until I exploded and blurted it out anyway. Sound familiar?

Maybe you’ve been there… watching your friend date a guy clearly beneath her standards, trying to be polite with the iconic “well, if you’re happy, that’s all that matters” but then still voicing your concerns. Or maybe you’ve clocked a coworker’s passive-aggressive comments and felt the urge to call them out because, clearly, something bigger was brewing beneath the surface.

And let’s not forget: every firstborn daughter knows the absolute danger zone of critiquing her mom’s “less efficient” methods of living life. (DUH! Instant war zone unlocked.)

Sometimes speaking up = Self Sabotage

We’ve all been there. First, you notice the behavior. Then you hesitate… maybe to gather more information, maybe to be sure. During that pause, you start questioning yourself: Is it me? Am I the drama? Did I make it up? Am I overreacting?

Eventually, you convince yourself it really IS something and now you’ve GOT to speak up. I don’t know if it’s the self-doubt, the gaslighting, or just the emotional build-up, but nine times out of ten, it leads to an avoidable blow-up.

Because here’s the truth: fighting with a brick wall leaves hella bruises even if you miraculously manage to knock a brick or two loose.

Life Lesson: Not every battle deserves your energy!

So what did all those years of unnecessary sparring actually teach me?
Something’s gotta give.

(Insert Popeyes worker meme, sitting curbside, emotionally exhausted.)

In all seriousness, I’ve learned that you’ve got to choose your battles wisely. Not everything you observe or learn needs to be vocalized. Sometimes that download was meant only for your own course correction and not for public consumption.

Application Test: My Career Pivot

Now, don’t get it twisted, I still have to remind myself daily that every battle is not mine to fight.

Case in point: my recent career pivot. I shifted from being a full-time Occupational Therapist to stepping into an administrative role. Whew, what a whirlwind.

I’m grateful for the growth and the journey God continues to take me on, but if I’m being real I definitely underestimated how challenging the switch would be. I’ve already lost count of the number of passive-aggressive comments I’ve had to take on the chin in the last two months.

I knew that not everyone would be thrilled about my new position, but what I didn’t anticipate was the test of emotional discipline that comes with biting my tongue when someone “has me messed up.” Ignoring shady comments and passive aggressive behaviors has been one of the hardest lessons yet.

One of my triggers has always been not wanting people to think they can get away with treating me any kind of way. Sadly, some people see kindness as weakness and typically I love giving those people the shock of their lives after they try me.

That part of me? Still very much alive and well.

Warning Alert: Growth sometimes feels like a restraint choking you.

The difference now is that I’m learning there’s a more tactical way to handle things. You can’t just set the whole house on fire with yourself still inside to prove a point. I mean what good is the principal of the matter when there aren’t any survivors?

Easier said than done, right? I know but no-one promised it would be easy. If they did, they lied sweets. No shocker there right?

So what do you say? Let’s carry our crosses together and learn to master the art of shutting up bc silence can be powerful!

Remember some of the best stories are still unwritten so live boldly, embrace the unexpected, and make sure your life story is worth the MF plot!