I said less and meant more

Dear Delyara, One of my recent victories at work is that I’m learning to say less while respecting myself more. Less over-explaining. Less apologizing. Less rushing to soften my own position before anyone else has even challenged it. More clarity. More steadiness. More trust in my right to speak plainly. I don’t think I realized how much energy I used to waste trying to be maximally acceptable. It feels good to need that less.