Are you still afraid of speaking up?

Do you remember your younger self promising to recite on the first day of class, but you never raised your hand, and you told yourself, "Next time"?

But the next day, you didn't raise your hand again.

And again on the same day

And the other day, too.

Until the school year was over, and you haven't recited a single time.

But during those class recitations, you beat yourself up, thinking...

"Hmm, I would have said the same thing as the other person. The recitation point would have gone to me."

"I would have been seen as someone participative. I would have earned a higher grade. "

"But maybe...next time?"

This mindset became my mindset throughout my school life.

I was the one who usually sat at the back (if I had the choice and if teachers did not arrange our seats alphabetically).

From the back, I would observe whether someone would raise their hands.

And if no one else does, I would go for it.

But year after year, I followed a pattern.

If I hadn't raised my hand on the first day of class, I would likely not have recited for the whole semester.

And if you've been in the same situation before, didn't you find it difficult to break that pattern?

Did you bring that with you even when you started working?

I did.

I was slow to raise my hand.

I was the one who would first observe.

Then, I'd only say something if it's worth talking about.

Part of my growth is learning to recognize the patterns that helped me stay in my comfort zone.

Then, I'd break some of those patterns if only to experiment.

But you see, it's not always an easy thing to do.

Because when you do something different for the first time, you can't help but assume a defensive position.

You try to block potential attacks against your beliefs, ideas, and thoughts.

And then, of course, you'll feel very vulnerable.

But that's why you and I didn't raise our hands initially, right?

Because we were afraid to be exposed

For what we are

For who we are

For what we stand for

And because of fear of saying the wrong things

Of appearing stupid

Or foolish

Or naive

We all ought to break our self-destructive patterns now.

If not, we're doomed to repeat the past.

And the outcomes can be worse than just getting a failing grade, missing that promotion, or losing a business or a job...

When will you raise your hand?

***

P.S. I’ve recently launched Skilled OFW, a coaching blog for current and future Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). It’s one of my speak-up platforms to inspire change in the OFW narrative. If you’re an OFW yourself, you’ll find short insights and stories to help you survive and thrive in an international environment. Thanks for following the page, if it’s relevant to you.

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