I grew up avoiding conflict. Silence felt like safety—especially when the people around me were already overwhelmed or arguing. That instinct stayed with me into adulthood, including my work in community and advocacy spaces.

But systems work requires clarity. Sometimes clarity means naming something that isn’t working, even when it feels uncomfortable.

I’m learning that speaking up doesn’t have to break peace.
It can create a deeper one.

When truth is delivered with care—and with the intention of helping everyone move forward—it becomes an act of responsibility, not confrontation. It becomes a design practice.

Harmony isn’t the absence of tension. It’s the presence of trust.