Speaking Up Is a Measure of Success

Are you ready to be successful?

A client relayed a story to me that began with a friend asking her that question.

She told me that the comment had been playing in her head for a couple of days. We explored her internal dialog, and why the question had bothered her.

To her, the question really was, “Am I ready to be financially successful?”

She continued on, emphasizing that just because her money situation was not currently what she wanted it to be, there were a lot of other ways that she was very successful.

— She is very well respected within her professional community.

— She has ongoing clients and a nice stream of referrals.

— Many of her clients have achieved the goals they set out to do.

— After a lot of trial and error, she has evolved her work into something she loves doing.

And, regarding her finances, they continue to improve — something she is very proud of — because she knows that she has been directly responsible for that happening.

Most importantly, she emphatically said she has overcome a great deal to achieve where she is, and all of it sure feels like success to her.

Wow! I could not agree more.

As she put words to her gut feelings for the first time, her voice cracked, and she was not as articulate as she usually is when she speaks. She admitted that her response came off a little, well, testy.

But she knew it was important for her to claim herself as successful despite how others might define success. In those moments when she was responding, she told me it was more important to her to communicate honestly than it was for her to come off polished.

What is the message here? Speak even when your voice trembles.

Many of us have experienced the “shaky voice” and “edgy nerves” when we first put words to a deeply held understanding — those divinely intuitive bits of wisdom we’ve learned.

But like my client, we take the risk and speak up anyway.

Why would we risk feeling awkward and uncomfortable?

Because we are no longer willing to live with the misunderstandings that disconnect us from what we know is true. One spoken truth at a time brings us closer in alignment with ourselves and connects us with others on a deeper level.

As our alignment increases so does our sense of calm and agency — two factors essential for us to make choices that lead to our creating the life we envision.

So, the next time someone around you is stumbling to say something important, meet their eyes, nod, and encourage them to continue. Let them know that you understand and support them.

Collectively taking the risk to speak our wisdom is how our culture changes — one insight at a time. It’s how we demonstrate success.

Roberta Ryan is a business coach who helps “right-brain” professionals recognize their value, make their vision real, and sustain a business that serves the greater community. To find out more, please visit www.RobertaRyan.com