It was during a conversation with my friend and fellow speaker, Jon Gordon, that I realized I needed to start sending a weekly message of motivation and inspiration.

We were both keynoting an event in Dallas, Texas, when Jon shared something that stopped me in my tracks:

He said the single most significant driver of his success has been his newsletter.

To put that into perspective — Jon is a 27X author, an 18X bestseller, and speaks nearly 80 times a year to professional sports teams, schools, and Fortune 100 companies. When someone with that level of impact says, "My newsletter changed everything," you listen.

I'll be honest — I've always resisted email newsletters. I don't love getting spammy, pitch-heavy emails myself, so I never wanted to send something that felt like that.

But when I pressed Jon on why his newsletter worked, he said this:

"It's not marketing. It's a way to share, to connect, and to add value every single week. If you have the chance to make a difference, why wouldn't you take it?"

That hit me. It made me reflect on what I tell my clients all the time: when we hold back our gifts, our stories, our encouragement, we make it about us. We shrink to avoid being misunderstood, judged, or "too much" — but in doing so, we rob someone of the very thing they might need to hear to change their life.

I hadn't started a newsletter because I didn't want to feel pushy. But that hesitation was self-focused — not service-focused.

So let me ask you this:

Where in your own life are you holding back because you're worried about taking up too much space, being too loud, or possibly offending someone?

What is the cost of staying small? Whose life might you change if you shared what only you can share?

This week, I invite you to take up more space. Speak up. Shine brighter. Put your message out there. The world needs you in the light — not hiding in the shadows.

If you could, which you can — how can you show up more fully today?

Here's to your Miracle Monday.

Let's make it count.

With love and light,

Rudi