Growing up I was taught that self-promotion = bragging, so I avoided it. My father made a living out of being a salesman, but no one at home bragged.

I did the same. Did good work and stayed quiet. It wasn’t modesty, but avoidance dressed as virtue.

Therapy helped me see it differently: talking about what you’ve done isn’t separate from the work. It’s the final step.

  1. Do the thing
  2. Say that you did it

That’s the whole process.

“But that feels like bragging.”

Only if you’re talking to the wrong people.

The loudest self-promoters I remember were broadcasting to everyone instead of someone. Context was missing. Audience was missing.

Sharing with colleagues and people facing similar problems never felt like bragging. It felt like contributing.

The fear doesn’t go away. But the reframe saves you from the internal negotiation every time.

Promotion isn’t vanity. It’s continuation.