When I choose to speak

I’ve learned to move through this world at a pace that feels honest to me— not slow, not fast, just real. People mean well, I know. They offer paths, perspectives, suggestions shaped by their own lived truths. Sometimes I listen closely, sometimes I don’t. But I’ve come to understand that I’m allowed to choose when I open the door. Not out of stubbornness, but because not everything fits the shape of my life. Engaging isn’t something I’ve subscribed to, it’s something I offer… and only when it’s right. My silence isn’t avoidance, it’s trust in myself, a space I keep clear so I can hear what matters. And if I do step in, if I join the conversation, take the advice, follow the lead, it will be because something inside said yes, not because I felt I had to… not because I was expected to. That choice, that freedom, is how I stay sincere, valid, and true to myself.