Welcome back to a brand-spanking new season of Rich In Real Life! In this episode, I kick things off by addressing the longest personal break in podcasting that I have ever taken since the start of this podcast.  There’s no easy way of saying this, especially when I have built my business & career almost entirely on speaking, but I took the longest podcast break I’ve ever taken because I had completely and utterly lost my voice. I had somehow muted myself for the longest time (for reasons I’ll be sharing in this episode), and it had caused me to feel powerless, inauthentic, unfulfilled, and like I wasn’t enough. I no longer knew who I was. But not anymore. In this episode, I’m going to talk about how this season of silence has not only affected me but has literally taken over and consumed my relationships and my identity. I talk about the difficult things I had to do to find my voice again, discern between external voices and my own true voice, and finally return to my authentic self.  It’s time we faced whatever it is that’s causing us to silence ourselves because we no longer have to be muted by our circumstances. So join me as I finally break my silence, and I hope my story inspires you to break yours.  KEY POINTS  How I was completely muted for a year  The reasons we silence ourselves as women  Why I sunk into silence and how it has affected myself and my relationships  How I released my bitterness by going on a Forgiveness Tour Shame equals Should: How to release your shame and make space for your voice  QUOTABLES  “When you don't deal with that bitterness, it throws a party.” - Jessica Hurley “I don’t have to compromise the respect I have for myself just to maintain respect for other people.” - Jessica Hurley  “One of the hardest lessons I had to swing in 2023 was my willingness to be the bigger person and shut up and allow myself to be the villain in other people's story.” - Jessica Hurley  Love what you’re hearing? Follow Jessica Hurley and share the love! IG | @jessicahurley__ - www.instagram.com/jessicahurley__   Rich In Real Life is produced by EPYC Media Network - visit at https://www.epyc.co/