I’m not necessarily talking about the tone / volume / musicality of your voice, but your metaphorical voice…
The voice that speaks your truth…
So much of the time, we hold back from speaking what we really feel or see as true.
So much of the time, we hold back from hearing the truth of what we feel, within us.
For example, you have an idea that would impact others for the good, but you don’t speak it, for fear of rejection, humiliation or being ignored.
The idea never comes to light and an opportunity is lost. As time passes, it becomes obvious to you that the idea could have made a significant difference to yourself and those around you.
Or you have a sense that a situation you’re in ( a role, a relationship, a friendship, a hobby, a diet for example) no longer serve you.
You ignore that deeper knowing, for fear the change will cause waves, discomfort, difficulty; or that it might fail.
Nothing changes. You feel stuck and increasingly resentful about life being ‘this way.’
So what can you do to honour your voice better?
- Learn to listen more deeply to your inner knowing - staying attuned to what you’re hearing as a practice, means you are more likely to pay attention when it has something vital to say.
- Practise speaking your truth - start with somewhere and someone that feels safe;try it on for size; notice the impact.
- Transcend your fear about speaking your truth - know that your feelings of fear are not predicting the outcome of you speaking up, but reflecting your state of mind about it.
- Learn to discern between ‘truth’ and ‘ego’ - the former feels kind and in service; the latter feels tight and needy
- Be compassionate to yourself - learning to listen and speak your truth is a process not a destination in itself
As an experiment in the coming week, notice where and when you shut yourself down from speaking up for or listening to a deeper knowing inside.
Consider what the risk is of not listening to speaking your voice during your life time.
Anais Nin says it beautifully: And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
Photo by Jacek Dylag on Unsplash