Stop breathing

When do you stop breathing?

I'm not kidding here, I want to know, because lately I feel like seeing some of my coworkers is causing me physical problems, for real. Like I stop breathing. I'm so tired of not being open and honest about what I see as fundamental flaws in our organization. And it hurts that I can't because I think I have a lot of valuable insights into ways that we could change for the better. Theoretically, I could just say my piece and be done, but would I have a job tomorrow?

It's not that I stopped believing in the mission, just that I don't think we can live up to it. And it's true that many nonprofits call it a mission because it's a goal or an ideal, a dream of a better place.