For the longest time, I’ve driven manual cars.
That wasn’t new to me. I was confident with the gears, the timing, the rhythm of it.
But here’s the thing—every manual car I had driven was diesel.
Until recently.
I stepped into a manual petrol car, and suddenly… everything familiar felt slightly off.
The clutch felt different.
The revs needed more attention.
My timing was off.
I stalled—something I hadn’t done in years.
And in that moment, I had to pause and laugh at myself.
Because how could something so familiar suddenly feel so awkward?
Then it hit me:
Just because you’ve done something before doesn’t mean you’ve mastered every version of it.
There’s diesel confidence, and then there’s petrol humility.
Same car type. Different behaviour.
Same skill. New sensitivity.
And life is like that.
You can be experienced, seasoned, confident—
and then life throws you a “new version” of a familiar thing.
The job is still in your field, but the expectations are different.
The relationship is still love, but it needs a different kind of presence.
The role is still leadership, but it calls for quieter strength.
And in those moments, you learn to respect the nuance.
You learn to give yourself grace as you adjust.
You learn that mastery isn’t about arriving—it’s about staying teachable.
So yes, I stalled a few times.
Yes, I got frustrated with myself.
But I’m learning. And every day, it’s smoother.
Let this be your reminder:
You can be both experienced and learning at the same time.
And there’s no shame in the adjustment.
Now, apply this to something we all use—social media.
You might know how to post. You might have great ideas.
But PR, especially in digital spaces, is a petrol engine, not a diesel one.
What worked offline or in small circles doesn’t always work online.
Here, tone matters. Timing matters. Silence can speak louder than noise.
And just because you have something to say, doesn’t mean now is the time to say it.
Online presence requires emotional intelligence, sensitivity, and growth.
You can know what to post, and still need to unlearn how you post it.
You can have influence, and still need refinement.
So whether it’s gear shifts in a car—
or in your communication style—
Stay teachable. Learn the difference.
And know this:
PR isn’t just about what you say.
It’s about how well you read the road.