Often, as a coach, employer, or teacher, I’m trying to put my finger on something that doesn’t feel right.

If something is not working, I’ve got to try to figure out why. I’ll look for any clues. One of the more subtle signs of a breakdown is the use of hyperbole.

If someone on my team says something like, “I tried like a hundred times,” or “I’ve been reminding him constantly,” or “Everyone was thrilled,” my ears perk up. These are stories that can’t possibly be literally true, yet they are shared with sincerity. This is a disconnect that causes problems.

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This week, author Emily Giffin (who just happens to have a book coming out) told the AP that her comments last month about Meghan Markle were “mean” and that she “need[s] to be more careful about the impact of [her] words.”

Back in May, Giffin called Markle phony and unmaternal, picking apart (apparently with friends) a short video of Markle and her son reading together. She even criticized the choice to allow the baby to appear on video in a onesie. However, she was quick to assert that her comments weren’t racist.

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The fear of criticism prevented me from sharing my writing in the past.

Especially scary was the possibility that someone might tell me how wrong I was and be right about it, sending major cracks through the foundation my work is based on.

In fact, this fear didn’t just prevent me from sharing my writing — it prevented me from writing in the first place. That may have made me blameless, but it also made me bland. I wasn’t committing to a point of view, which meant that I wasn’t clear on what my point of view actually was.

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It’s the first day of a new year. Unblemished and unbroken like an overnight snowfall that no one’s had a chance to walk upon.

Inevitably, it will get messed up — the snow and the year. What then?

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