What Are You Putting Up With?

We had a client today who came in fiery angry. On the surface, she was mad at her boss and her company—because opportunities she had worked hard to create were being handed to coworkers. But when we dug deeper, what really had her boiling was this:

She was mad at herself for putting up with it!

That really hit us! Because isn’t that the truth for so many of us? We tolerate things that chip away at our confidence, our joy, our worth—until one day the anger bubbles over. And then we realize the hardest truth of all: we’ve been complicit by staying silent.

So let me ask you: What are you putting up with right now?

It could be a toxic workplace. It could be a relationship that drains instead of nourishes. It could be your own inner critic that you keep letting run the show.

Here’s the thing: We teach people how to treat us. Every time we swallow our voice, we reinforce the very behavior that hurts us.

So how do you know when it’s time to speak up, or even walk away?

Here are a few guiding questions and strategies:

1. Check in with your body. When you think about the situation, do you feel heavy, tight, or drained? Your body is wise. If it’s screaming “this isn’t right,” pay attention. And one of the major ways that Spirit speaks to us is through feelings.

   
   

2. Ask: Is this a pattern? One hard day is just that—a day. But if you notice the same disrespect, dismissal, or lack of opportunity happening again and again, it’s a pattern. Patterns rarely fix themselves without change.
   

3. Find your voice. Before you quit or explode, BREATHE…. and then practice speaking up. Try a simple statement: “When I see my opportunities handed off, I feel devalued. I’d like to understand what’s happening and how we can fix this.”

   
   

   Speaking up is powerful—even if the outcome isn’t perfect, you’ve broken the silence. And as you speak your truth, take it one step further: ask yourself, “What would I love?”
   

   Not just, what would make this tolerable, but what would be the ideal solution?

   
   

   When you get clear on what you’d truly love—whether it’s respect, recognition, fair treatment, a new role, or an entirely new environment—you shift from reacting to designing. Then, when you open your mouth, you’re not just venting frustration… you’re asking for the life, career, and relationships that align with your brilliance.
   

4. Decide what’s non-negotiable. We all have lines. The trouble is, most of us haven’t taken the time to define them—and when we don’t, other people will happily decide for us.
   

   So pause and ask yourself: What behavior is absolutely unacceptable for me moving forward? Maybe it’s being dismissed in meetings. Maybe it’s having your contributions minimized. Maybe it’s tolerating disrespect from a colleague, a client, or even yourself.

   Once you name your non-negotiables, you give yourself a compass. That clarity makes it easier to speak up with confidence, or to walk away if necessary. And here’s the kicker: boundaries only work if you hold them. It’s not enough to say, “This matters to me.” You have to follow through with action—consistently.
   

   Boundaries aren’t walls; they’re invitations. They tell people, “This is how I expect to be treated, and this is how I will treat you in return.” And when you honor your own lines, you give others permission to respect theirs too.

   
   

5. Remember: you always have a choice. Staying, speaking, leaving—none of these are easy. But they are choices. And reclaiming your power starts with owning that truth.

When is enough, enough?

Enough is enough the moment you realize that continuing to tolerate it costs you more than changing it does.

So today, I’ll ask you again: What are you putting up with? And more importantly—what are you going to do about it?

Because your brilliance, your peace, your WOW!!—they are worth protecting. Always!!!