Just Getting Started, Give Me a Break

Have you ever lived with regrets because you didn’t ask a question out of fear of what others might think, wanted to talk to someone but chickened out, or always wanted to try something different but let that "stinking thinking" get in the way? I call it "stinking thinking" because those negative thoughts kept me from doing, expressing myself, and, at times, locked me in relationships because of fear. I had to change the way I thought about myself. I would pray, chant, and remember what I had accomplished, even listing the good things about me: "I matter, and what I say, think, and do for myself and others matters!"

I’m not saying that how something is said, the intent behind it, and the words themselves shouldn’t matter. Those things can define your character. The same goes for staying silent when you see someone being slandered or hurt. Your voice is your choice, but don’t avoid using it based solely on fear of what others think. You have to decide who and what matters to you.