It had been one of the hardest days of her professional life.
Someone on her team had died. Tash and her direct reports had been grieving together all morning. And then she had to walk into a meeting with people who knew nothing about what had happened — colleagues with their own agendas, their own work, their own priorities — and somehow be present.
She made a quiet decision before she walked in.
I'm not going to pretend everything is okay. I'm not going to broadcast it. But if someone asks, I'm going to tell the truth.
Someone asked.
"I said: I am not well. It is just an incredibly difficult day and moment. I'm here. You have my attention. But I need you to understand I'm not well."
The response wasn't pity. It wasn't discomfort. It wasn't the professional fallout she might have feared.
It was care. Someone asked if they even needed to have the meeting. They cut it to 15 minutes. She went back to her team.
And here's what struck us about this story: she didn't ask for anything. She just named what was true. And in doing that, she created the opening for people to respond with exactly what she needed — without her having to know what to ask for.
We spend so much energy protecting people from our reality. Performing "fine" when we're not. Showing up buttoned-up when we're coming apart at the seams. And we tell ourselves it's professional, or it's appropriate, or it's not their problem.
But what we're actually doing is making it impossible for anyone to help.
When is your silence creating an unmet need — and what might happen if you just named the truth?
—
This email was inspired by a recent conversation with Tash Durkins on The Ripple podcast.
… Speaking of mental health and wellness. We’re currently gathering nominations for our Women Defining Wellness series that will run in August.
Do you know a woman leader in the health or wellness space who deserves to be in the WW spotlight?
This series is brought to you by our amazing partner Booth - who can help you build out your team with the right people, the right way.
p.s. Every issue of this newsletter is written by hand, by one of our amazing Wednesday Women team. We encourage you to forward it to a friend or colleague who might appreciate the inspiration!
