I was working on a high-profile consulting project with a major bank early in my career.

Despite my strong contribution, I began to sense I was being pushed aside.
Deep down, I knew it wasn’t about my performance—it was personal.

Something about me made a senior manager uncomfortable, and my presence triggered her in ways I couldn’t control.

When I approached the project manager to reflect my experience, she avoided the truth.

I felt dismissed. Unseen.

So I turned to my mother, who told me something I’ll never forget:
“No one will give you your worth. You have to claim it yourself.”

That moment changed everything.

Instead of waiting for permission or recognition, I chose to walk away.
Not out of anger, but out of clarity and self-respect.

Years later, that same manager approached me and admitted she had, in fact, felt threatened—not professionally, but personally.

That conversation gave me closure, but more than that, it validated the power of listening to myself.

Since then, I’ve made a commitment:

· To honor my intuition

· To lead from self-worth and love

· To say no to environments where I feel I have to prove myself over and over
Because the right spaces won’t ask you to shrink.

They’ll invite you to expand 💜

Where in your life have you chosen to claim your worth?