There’s a silent expectation a lot of us carry... especially in leadership. To be grateful no matter what.
Grateful for the opportunity. Grateful for the people. Grateful for the dynamics… even when parts of it quietly drained us.
For years, I smiled through situations that didn’t feel good. I kept the tone positive. I stayed polite. I pretended certain behaviors didn’t land as heavy as they did.
But that kind of gratitude isn’t real. It’s performance.
It’s what we do to hold everything together and keep the peace while ignoring the cost to ourselves.
This week, I stopped doing that. I didn’t fake a reaction. I didn’t sugarcoat anything to make someone else more comfortable. I let the truth be the truth.
You can be genuinely thankful for what a chapter taught you- and still admit what it took from you.
That’s not being ungrateful. That’s being honest. Stop performing appreciation for what has already run its course🫶