In Recovery

I'm a recovering Catholic. 

“I gave up Catholicism for Lent one year, and never took it back.”

That line usually gets a chuckle.  But there's one message that never left me:

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

This idea has shaped the way I show up in life, in leadership, in business.

Here's the thing: When someone tries to make you feel small, it's almost always more about them than you. Their fear.  Their insecurity. Their need to feel bigger, louder, smarter.

A difference of opinion is healthy.  Disagreement is how we grow.  But attacking, belittling, or shaming someone? That's not disagreement, that's projection.

When faced with that kind of energy, we have two choices:

1) Walk away.  Unfollow.  Mute.  Exit the room or the relationship. 

2) Stay, but stay with respect. Agree to disagree.  Hold your boundary without hostility.

This isn’t about religion.

It’s about humanity. 

It's about leading with empathy, even when the easy option is ego. 

It's about choosing how you respond and not how you react.

We live in a time where bold opinions are currency.

But I’ll take integrity over applause.

Every time.