How do I push past resistance when I feel too intimidated to advocate?

You believe in what you are advocating for. You can even make the case on paper. But when it comes time to actually move people who push back, something in you pulls away. That gap between knowing you are right and feeling able to stand up is one of the most common struggles there is. It does not mean you are wrong or weak. Resistance feels bigger than it is when you meet it alone in your imagination. In your head the other person is a wall. In reality they are usually someone with their own fears, defending something they think they might lose. Advocacy is not overpowering them. It is understanding what they are protecting and speaking to it. Start smaller than the big confrontation you are dreading. Have one honest conversation with one person who disagrees, and just aim to understand them, not to win. Courage grows by use, not by waiting until you feel ready. Each small stand makes the next one lighter. You do not have to be fearless. You only have to speak anyway.