It’s not always that easy to speak with your own voice, to know how to express your own truth, or even to know that you have a voice of your own. There are many things throughout our lives that can suppress the desire, the ability, or the courage to say out loud what matters most to us. Whatever it is that has kept us silent, whether it was being told to be seen but not heard, being shamed, feeling criticized, or enduring the complexities of domestic abuse (emotional or physical), there comes a moment when we realize we have to stand proud, claim our voice, and speak loud. This is when we make the conscious choice of using our voice to bring forth what is most true for us, and in the process to educate and empower others to break their silence.
Tell your story of finding your voice using the familiar form of before, during, and after whatever it was that was holding your voice hostage. What was it, specifically, that kept you silent? When did you first notice that it was difficult or impossible to access your own voice? What happened to perpetuate this circumstance? What finally happened that told you enough is enough, that it is essential to your own health, and maybe even others, to break this silence? What has changed since you found your own voice?