How often did you rehearse it in your head, but still struggling to get it out? Find your voice, you read in various places. And if you are like many who feel a calling inside to speak but something is holding them back, than you also feel your throat tightening and anxiety kicking in, along with a nagging feeling of angst. Eyes dropping. Heart sinking.
Could there be another way to approach it?
What about looking at it as if there is nothing special about speaking out, nothing out-of-the-ordinary? As if this is just a natural thing you were born to do? What if there was nobody to impress and nobody to disappoint? What if this was simply part of your responsibility in life as a human being, just as showing up on time, or caring for a loved one is?
But I hear that voice of disapproval in my head, you’d say. That voice needs to be heard. Perhaps at some point it had a point. And a purpose. However, it became too loud and too restricting as you grew more aware of who you are and the world around. What if you could have a conversation with that part, validating it and letting it know it served its purpose? And that from now on you can take over and grow out of it.
Understandably, it can be daunting to get out there, because it means exposing oneself. Eyes on me. Making oneself vulnerable to some degree. It’s a risk to take. Nevertheless, there is strength in being vulnerable. And there is gain from taking calculated risks. And there is freedom to be found in finding one’s voice.
Of course, the opposite is true. There are also risks, a sense of powerlessness and bondage to face when holding back. So another question to ask would be: what do I stand to lose if I don’t find my voice and make it audible?
May 2020 be the year when you mark a bold step in being dauntless – fearless and determined – about finding your voice. You only live once. If not now, when?
