As a kid, I was a lot. A whirlwind of energy—always moving, always talking, and constantly getting in trouble for it.
Every report card had some version of “Monique needs to learn how to control her mouth.” I was (and still am) highly emotional, fiercely strong-willed, and a chronic overtalker.
I talked to prove, to argue, to fill the silence. I meant well—I just hadn’t yet learned that listening could be powerful too.
Over the years, I’ve worked hard to shift how I communicate. Not perfectly. Not always gracefully. But little by little, I’ve learned that the most powerful voice in the room doesn’t need to be the loudest one.
And sometimes, the best contribution is the question you ask—or the silence you hold.
We all have communication crap. Old habits. Nerves. Patterns we picked up along the way. But we can work on it—bit by bit. We’ll mess up. We’ll say too much, or not enough. And still, we try again.
Because growth isn’t about getting it right all the time. It’s about being willing to keep learning what it means to actually be heard.
