Speak Up and Remain Fabulous! with Jennifer S. Wilkov
"Many of us have lost our abilities to truly connect, truly be known, and be heard. It concerns me that our society has allowed these voices inside us to be silenced. It’s time for each of us to speak up so we can truly live the lives we have imagined." - Jennifer S. Wilkov
In This Episode…
Are you afraid to speak up for yourself (or someone else) because you might be judged, belittled or punished?
TEDx speaker, radio host and award-winning author Jennifer S. Wilkov was wrongly accused of a crime, convicted and served time at Rikers Island before the charges were dropped and she was exonerated.
Key Points
"It doesn't matter what happened to you... you're the same fabulous person you were beforehand. Life is not about what happens to you; it's about what you choose to do with it once it does. You have the right to remain fabulous!" - Jennifer S. Wilkov
Do you see something wrong in your community? Speak up! It takes courage and strength to speak up, but it's the right thing to do. It's worth it. Spare others' pain by telling them what you've been through.
What You Can Do
Tips for Speaking Up:
1. Ask yourself: What's holding me back?
2. Ask yourself: Who are the people I need to speak to? (People that you need to confront or have questions for.) Make a list.
3. Decide which 2 or 3 people you want to focus on, and what specifically you need to talk to them about. What do you need help with? What do you want to say? You want to prepare for this, so you can be clear and direct in your communication.
4. Reach out each person in question:
For a friendly/business topic, invite that person out for coffee and be direct and respect their time. If you say it will take 30 minutes, be on time, and don't ask 20 questions in those 30 minutes. Prioritize you want to ask.
For a personal situation, don't downplay your concerns or sugarcoat your feelings. Get to the point and do not worry about how they will receive it-- you have to get something off your chest whether they like it or not. Their response is not your problem.
5. Speak up for yourself. Be honest of what you feel passionate speaking up about, then do so with one person at a time.
Take these steps one at a time. If you start to feel fear, it's ok. Feel the fear and do it anyway! Give yourself the opportunity to experience the journey and experience what it's like on the other side of that fear.
Connect with My Guest
Jennifer S. Wilkov, TEDx speaker, radio host and award-winning author
