Owning Our Worth: The Power of Saying “Thank You”

One of the most impactful reminders from guest speaker Serena Olson during Dream It, Be It was surprisingly simple: when someone gives you a compliment, just say “thank you.”

Such a small phrase. And yet, for so many of us, it feels anything but natural.

Instead, we often do the opposite. We deflect. We downplay. We brush it aside.
“Oh, it was nothing.”
“I just got lucky.”
“Anyone could have done it.”

These responses may feel humble, even polite. But in reality, they quietly chip away at something important. When we minimize a compliment, we’re not just dismissing our own effort, we’re also diminishing the sincerity and intention behind the person offering it.

A compliment is a gift. And when we refuse it, even unintentionally, we leave that gift unopened.

So what if we tried something different?

What if we allowed ourselves to receive recognition fully, without apology, without explanation, without shrinking?

What if we simply said:
Thank you. I worked really hard on that.
Thank you. I’m really proud of how that turned out.

There is power in those words. Not arrogance, power.

Because owning our accomplishments doesn’t make us boastful. It makes us honest. It grounds us in our effort, our growth, and our progress. It allows us to stand in the truth of what we’ve done and who we’re becoming.

And perhaps even more importantly, it gives others permission to do the same.

When we confidently accept a compliment, we model self worth. We normalize it. We show that it’s okay to recognize our value without diminishing it.

But this practice isn’t just about receiving, it’s also about giving.

A genuine compliment has the ability to shift someone’s entire day. It can reinforce confidence, validate effort, and remind someone that they are seen. In a world that often focuses on what’s missing or what could be improved, choosing to speak encouragement is a powerful act.

So this month, let’s practice two simple, meaningful shifts:

Offer genuine compliments freely.
And when one comes your way, receive it fully, with a confident, heartfelt “thank you.”

No qualifiers. No deflection. Just ownership.

Because you are worthy of the recognition you receive. And sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is simply accept it.

Happy Thursday all,

-srt

#ThursdayThoughts #ReaCoachingandConsulting #ThankYou

A Letter to the Fixers: You Can’t Fix Everything

There’s something oddly fitting about finding life lessons in a show I resisted for years.

My husband and I recently started watching CSI. Yes, I know, late to the party. Very late. 

And before anyone asks why now, the answer is simple: desperation. We ran out of everything else. But also, if I’m honest, I’ve always avoided shows like this. The brutality, the unresolved trauma, the stories involving women, children, and the darker corners of humanity ... it’s a lot. I don’t naturally gravitate toward that.

But here we are.

And somewhere between the crime scenes and the lab work, a thought stuck with me: cold cases.

For those who don’t watch, a cold case is something that was never fully solved. Maybe the evidence ran dry. Maybe too much time passed. Maybe the people involved are gone or unwilling to revisit it. It just… sits there. Unresolved.

And that got me thinking about life, specifically, about those of us who are “fixers.”

If you’re a fixer, you know exactly what I mean. You step in, you smooth things over, you patch the wound, you keep things moving. You make peace where you can. You survive what you must. And at the time, it feels like resolution.

But sometimes… it’s not.

Sometimes what we call “fixed” is really just filed away.

A cold case.

I think every one of us has them: moments, relationships, conversations, or hurts that never fully got resolved. Maybe you did what you needed to do to move forward. Maybe you didn’t have the tools, the support, or even the awareness back then. Maybe the other person wasn’t willing or isn’t here anymore. So you kept going.

Because life doesn’t pause for closure.

But here’s the tricky part: cold cases don’t always stay buried.

Every now and then, something stirs them up. A memory. A conversation. A season of life where you finally slow down enough to feel. And suddenly, that old case file is back on your desk, demanding attention.

And if you’re a fixer, your instinct is to… fix it.

But what if you can’t?

What if there is no new evidence?
No conversation to be had?
No apology coming?
No clean ending waiting for you?

That’s where the real work begins.

Because maybe the goal isn’t to solve the case.

Maybe the goal is to release it.

To acknowledge that it was real. That it mattered. That it impacted you. And also accept that not everything in life gets tied up neatly. Some things remain unfinished, not because you failed, but because resolution requires more than just you.

And that’s a hard truth for fixers.

We like control. We like closure. We like knowing we did everything we could to make things right.

But sometimes, “everything you could” still isn’t enough to create a perfect ending.

So, what do you do when a cold case resurfaces?

You sit with it ... without rushing to solve it.

You ask yourself what part of it still has a hold on you.

You give yourself permission to feel whatever you didn’t have space to feel back then.

And then, slowly, intentionally, you decide what you want to do with it now, not what you should have done then.

Because healing isn’t always about resolution.

Sometimes it’s about acceptance.

Sometimes it’s about choosing peace without answers.

And sometimes it’s about closing the file, not because the case was solved, but because you’re no longer willing to let it run your life.

That’s the kind of closure we don’t talk about enough.

And maybe, just maybe, that’s the kind that matters most.

Happy Thursday fellow fixers (and the rest of the world),

-srt 

#ThursdayThoughts #ReaCoachingandConsulting #ColdCase

More Than a Reel

It’s strange how easy it is to feel like life is happening somewhere else.

You open your phone for a quick scroll and suddenly you’re watching everyone else’s highlight reel ... perfect photos, big smiles, meaningful moments, all neatly edited into something that looks effortless.

But that’s all it is: a highlight reel.

What you don’t see is everything behind it: the effort, the doubt, the growth, the courage it took just to show up in the first place.

And here’s something I think we all need to be reminded of more often:

The most meaningful parts of life aren’t happening on a screen.
They’re happening in the moments when we choose to be present.

Not the polished ones. The real ones.

The conversation after a long day when you almost didn’t go.
The laughter that sneaks up on you in the middle of something ordinary.
The messy, behind-the-scenes effort that never gets photographed.
The quiet encouragement you give, or receive, when it’s needed most.

Those are the moments that actually matter.

They don’t always look like much from the outside. They don’t always get posted. But they’re the ones that stay with you.

And here’s the thing ... those moments don’t happen by accident.

They happen when you show up.

When you say yes instead of maybe later.
When you walk into the room even if you’re tired, unsure, or wondering if you belong.
When you choose to participate instead of sitting on the sidelines.

Because you do belong.
In the room.
In the conversation.
In your own story.

Your presence matters more than you think. Your voice matters more than you realize. And the impact you have, sometimes in the smallest ways, is real.

It’s easy to believe that what counts is what gets captured. But the truth is, the most important parts of our lives will never fit into a post.

They live in the connections we build, the people we support, and the moments we fully step into.

So if you’ve been hesitating, wondering if you should go, speak up, get involved, take this as your nudge:

Don’t sit on the sidelines of your own life.

Show up.
For the experience.
For the connection.
For yourself.

Because the best parts of your story? They won’t be found in a reel.

They’ll be found in the moments you chose to live fully.

And if you pay attention, you might notice something else along the way—people see you. They appreciate what you bring. They notice your light, even when you don’t.

Learning to accept that… well, that’s a whole different kind of growth.

But for now, just keep showing up.

The world needs what you have to give.

Happy Thursday lovelies,

-srt