Hiatus 2016

It was a good year to withdraw. No – I’m not talking about Afghanistan, though it probably would have been a good time for that too. I’m talking about pressing pause and taking a hiatus from my SpeakStrong platform.

I could have written an entire book of Poison Phrases from a few minutes of his speeches. He made a mockery of principles I hold dear and teach. He exalted principles I deplore. He ridiculed values I treasured. He venerated ambitions I refute. He trashed people struggling from want and abuse. He retraumatized survivors and emboldened perpetrators nationally. He was (and remains) a bully – and in 2016, he won.

His tone trickled down to some of my readers and supporters. Some regarded him as a SpeakStrong role model. Some took license from him to mock and belittle and ridicule. Some I had interacted with for years became impertinent and pushy.

When they went low, we went high… and they took us out at the knees. For a while.

That, and so many other reasons (like the passing of my father) made 2016 a good year to hit pause and withdraw. It was a good year to invest my energies closer to home. It was a good year to regroup and transform.

Now it looks like 2021 will be a good year to reengage in a new way. Is SpeakStrong relevant after Sixty (eight)? Are PowerPhrases pertinent after the Pause? I believe so – and I trust the phrases will be more sacred and soulful than ever.

I don’t know how my platform will unfold. I am not a communication speaker and author now. I simply live my life and do my best to say what I mean and mean what I say… without being mean when I say it. Everything SpeakStrong is fresh and new and waiting to unfold. So come unfold your voice here with me.

2 thoughts on “Hiatus 2016”

  1. It’s needed now in my life both at home and work. 2022 finds me working from home and needing to use “SpeakStrong” principles. Please consider hosting a short workshop or retreat . Thank you, Laura Mitchell

  2. Awakenings come often as surprises but speak strong communication principles open us up to for these awakenings.

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