Speak in Capital Letters

My grandmother, blessed be her memory, would always say in Yoruba, "eni to ba da ke, ta ra e o ba dake." This literally means that a "closed mouth is a closed destiny."

Almost all opportunities in life, I've noticed, come from us pitching ourselves. Whatever profession we choose, we are all salespeople. When you apply for a job, you are essentially selling yourself. When you're interviewing for a job or negotiating a contract, you're simply selling yourself, and what you say and how you say it can help you get these opportunities. 

Many of us grew up in either conservative cultures or nuclear families where expressing one's abilities verbally or in writing was regarded as self-glorification or self-selling. Not downplaying that such exists though especially from those with the illusion of grandeur.

We must however  recognise that in today's world, keeping shut  where you are supposed to speak may cost you a lot. I've seen people get opportunities simply by standing up to contribute to a discussion at a conference, and their contributions piqued the interest of someone who gave them the break they'd been hoping for. Keeping all those great ideas only in your head is not humility, it is rather self sabotage. Nobody knows what you know until you make them know that you know.

Speak in capital letters this year. Your ideas are worth considering. When the opportunity to pitch yourself arises, do not keep your mouth shut. 

He gives understanding to the simple