Your Voice Matters
Recently, I was talking with a friend who was thinking about setting up and writing a blog. She wondered whether there was any point since there are so many blogs already ‘out there’.
I told her I was writing a post about whether our voices mattered and her telling me about her doubts inspired me to finish writing it and posting it.
Because I believe each and every one of our voices matter.
It prompted me to contemplate the other question that was on my mind: does my voice get heard?
I remember when I was studying for my Masters degree in Communication Studies a theory about how everything is a story. The story framework is applied everywhere, in every communication, in every life. We cannot get away from it.
I was fascinated by this notion. I explored it somewhat and I still think about it today. It feels rather true.
I love stories, I love sharing and connecting, I love hearing, reading and learning about others and their journeys. It inspires me.
In the past I have wondered if I am heard because we live in a world where it’s noisy and saturated with information. So much is coming at us all the time, especially negative news (unless you consciously unplug from technology, or even people!).
At the same time I don’t let that stop me from expressing my voice, from getting on with things, from pursuing my dreams. I choose to trust that the people who need to hear me, will, and I’m okay with whatever happens, even if I don’t get a response from what I “voice”.
It’s taken some time to let go of needing to know if I am being heard (though on occasion I catch my ego wanting to know! I am only human). Instead of looking externally to see how I am doing, I’ve been looking inside and examining how I am doing there: am I being congruent? Am I being authentic? Who am I really and how can I best express myself?
What I’ve discovered is that it’s important for me to speak my truth anyway, even if no one ever hears it, because keeping it inside and bottling it up is not healthy. I’ve done that in the past and it is not good for my well-being – I fell ill as a result.
When I began to listen to my inner voice and acted on it, my health and well-being improved (alongside seeking professional/medical help). My joy and enthusiasm returned.
Therefore, I keep expressing myself whether it is through speaking, writing or creating art, vision boards and living my life on my own terms according to my values, making my life an expression of who I am.
Besides, having said all of that, you never know who will be listening, who will be seeing you and taking in what you’re expressing. Every now and then I do get emails or messages from people who have been touched by what I have shared and they tell me how it’s made a difference in their life: they’ve been inspired to be brave and to be creative – or what thrills me most, is they have realised that they are creative!
This is what I believe:
My voice matters.
Your voice matters.
What I would say to my friend mentioned at the beginning of this post is this: go for it! Set up your blog, start writing and posting and let your curiosity and creativity guide you. Start to let go of what others will say, or not say. And have fun with it! Remember, you never know whose life you will touch and what a difference that will make to them. Quality over quantity.
What small thing can you do consistently every day that shows you that you’re expressing your own truth? You can do it privately, between you and yourself. It does not need to be public!