Day/Card 7 of 39 … Speak Your Truth …

I’ve never been much of a speaker, not much of a vocalizer. I believed at one time that it was because I didn’t have much to say, or nothing important to say. But I realized that for the majority of my childhood, I remember being told to, “Shut up,” or “Be quiet.” As a child when you hear this over and over, you come to believe that what you have to say is unimportant and insignificant; you feel powerless. Hard to believe, but it led me to become that adult that spoke very little, or only when spoken to. I learned to bite my tongue, to keep quiet to keep the peace and to just get things over with. It took me a LONG time to learn to find my own voice. Even now, I might still at times reply with, “I don’t know,” (when I do), or “Whatever you want to do/eat/go.”

By doubting my own voice, I gave my own voice doubts. By giving my voice doubts, I did not speak my true truths. As I was subjected to such vocal restraints as a child, I resigned voicing myself in my notebooks and journals. I wrote and wrote instead of speaking, which is why I still think best on paper, and why I write out what I’m going to say to this day. As of late, my art has also began “speaking,” so my art has also become my voice. This was a disservice to my speaking voice. After being afraid and ashamed for so long, I found my voice, realized my worth, and changed my life. My voice, what I say, directs my life, and if I was afraid to use it, it meant that I was not living up to my full potential.

I’ve come to learn that I DO have much to say. I have an opinion. I am expressive. I am capable of using my voice. Over the years, I’ve become much braver in speaking out loud, even speaking to an audience of thousands!

The “Speak Your Truth” card encourages you to Speak! Use your voice! This is the key to being set free! I’m not talking about just being heard, but using your voice to speak your truth, give voice to your opinions and feelings, to validate and express yourself by saying what you feel and mean OUT LOUD. It gives you power. It gives you life, and in turn it gives your life direction! We all have something to say, regardless of how small. You have a voice … use it!