Letter Thirty-Seven: Dear Criticism Coward

I also would not classify what is being said to you as constructive criticism, the type of feedback that is worth believing is presented to you in good faith as something that can help you improve; that is not what is happening here.

What is being said to you is just criticism; unkind, destructive, and unhelpful.

It makes complete sense to me that you’re not feeling confident in yourself and your abilities after hearing comments like those. Even once is enough to leave a deep impact, let alone these comments being a pattern.

Letter Twenty-Eight: Dear I Communicate like a Girl

Recognizing that there is an impact to others when asking them to do something (often deemed a women’s communication style), is not wrong.

Adding in signs of emotions through exclamation marks or emojis (another “marker” of women’s communication), is not wrong.

Acknowledging that other people’s schedules might not be able to accommodate our ask (yet again another marker), is not wrong.

Positioning a statement or opinion as your perspective, not the objective Truth, is not wrong. (I hope to have effective made my point by now)

Letter Fourteen: Dear Emotionally Overwhelmed

Here’s something I know to be true, shame thrives in silence. The quieter we are, the more hidden our feelings become, the more isolated we make ourselves, the worse off we are. I am here naming shame for you, as I recognize that you didn’t use that word yourself. Because what I hear in the fear of being a ‘waste of time, money, and energy’ is not being enough, not having a sense of worthiness to be there if you aren’t showing up emotionally in certain ways, of you not being ‘good’ if you aren’t productive and producing.