Loud on Purpose: Why I Won't Stay Quiet Anymore

Starting Do Better was my way of speaking up.

For years, I kept my head down. I tried to blend in, not rock the boat, not be "too much." I perfected the art of staying invisible, of making myself smaller so everyone else could feel comfortable. But silence has a way of eating you alive from the inside out. It convinces you that playing small is safer than being real, that keeping your mouth shut is somehow noble.

The truth is, silence wasn't kindness. It was fear.

The Weight of Staying Quiet

I spent most of my life believing that good people don't make waves. Good people don't speak up when something's wrong. Good people certainly don't get loud about anything, especially not love, kindness, or the radical idea that we should treat each other better.

I watched bullies tear people down and said nothing. I saw cruelty disguised as "just joking" and looked the other way. I witnessed people being excluded, dismissed, or attacked, and I told myself it wasn't my business. That speaking up would only make things worse. That someone else would handle it.

But here's what I learned: when good people stay quiet, the loud voices that remain are usually the wrong ones.

The people willing to tear others down never seem to have trouble finding their voice. They're loud about hate, loud about division, loud about making other people's lives harder. Meanwhile, the rest of us whisper our kindness like it's something to be ashamed of.

That's backwards as hell.

Do Better Is Me Getting Loud on Purpose

Do Better is my refusal to stay quiet anymore. It's me getting loud on purpose... loud about kindness, loud about connection, loud about the fact that it's okay to be nice, it's okay to get angry, but it's not okay to hate or divide or make someone else's life harder.

I'm not interested in being quiet while the world gets meaner.

Every card I write, every post I share, every shirt that goes out with "$5 to help someone else"... that's me being loud about love. That's me refusing to let cruelty be the loudest voice in the room.

Because here's what I've figured out: if you're not loud about the good stuff, the bad stuff gets to set the tone. And I'm done letting that happen.

Loud Isn't Ego

Being loud on purpose doesn't mean shouting people down or making noise just to be heard. It's not about ego or attention or proving how righteous you are. It's not about being the loudest person in the room just because you can.

It's love. It's fierce, protective, unapologetic love.

It's standing up when someone's being torn down, even when it's uncomfortable. It's calling out bullshit when silence would make you complicit. It's saying out loud what you wish someone had said for you when you needed it most.

It's choosing to be the voice that says "this isn't okay" when everyone else is looking at their phones. It's being willing to risk being called "too sensitive" or "too much" because someone needs to know they're not alone.

Nice vs. Kind

There's a difference between "nice" and "kind," and I'm done pretending they're the same thing.

Nice stays quiet when someone's being hurt. Nice looks away when things get uncomfortable. Nice says "that's not my problem" and goes back to scrolling. Nice is passive. Nice is safe. Nice doesn't cost anything.

Kind gets messy. Kind steps in when it would be easier to walk away. Kind risks being misunderstood, criticized, or attacked. Kind says "I see you" to the person everyone else is ignoring. Kind chooses action over comfort.

Do Better is about kindness with teeth. It's about showing the world that love isn't fragile... it's fierce. It's about proving that caring isn't weakness... it's strength.

The Ripple Effect of Speaking Up

Here's what I've learned since I started being loud on purpose: kindness is contagious, but only if people can see it. Connection spreads, but only if someone's willing to make the first move. Love creates ripples, but only if you're brave enough to throw the stone.

A little love goes a long way. A little kindness can stop someone from spiraling. A single moment of connection can change the whole trajectory of a day, a week, a life.

But that doesn't happen if we stay quiet. It doesn't happen if we keep our kindness to ourselves, if we whisper our love like it's a secret.

I think about the messages I get from people who say a Do Better card helped them through a rough day. I think about the conversations that started because someone wore a shirt that said something real. I think about the money that's gone directly to people who needed it because someone was willing to be loud about helping.

None of that happens in silence.

Why I Choose Loud

Do Better isn't just a phrase on a shirt or a deck of cards. It's my refusal to sit still while people tear each other apart. It's my commitment to being loud about the things that matter, even when... especially when... it's easier to stay quiet.

Because here's the thing: the world doesn't need more people who know how to stay in their lane. It needs more people who are willing to step out of their lane when someone needs help. It needs more people who are loud about love, loud about kindness, loud about the radical idea that we can disagree without destroying each other.

So I'm choosing loud. Not loud for the sake of noise, but loud for the sake of love. Loud about the belief that small actions matter. Loud about the idea that showing up for each other isn't optional... it's everything.

Do Better Together

If you take nothing else from this, take this: your voice matters. Your kindness matters. Your willingness to speak up when something's wrong... that matters more than you know.

The world is full of people who are loud about hate, loud about division, loud about tearing others down. What it needs more of is people who are loud about building each other up.

Do Better isn't me trying to be perfect. It's me daring to be loud in a world that wants us quiet. It's me refusing to let cruelty be the only voice that gets heard.

Because a little bit of love and kindness can go a long way. But only if we're brave enough to let it be heard.

So get loud. Get loud about the good stuff. Get loud about love. Get loud about the belief that we can do better... together.

The world needs your voice. Don't keep it to yourself.