For a while now, I’d been struggling with finding my voice. I want to be authentic and speak about the things that matter to me, my beliefs that may or may not be popular, my opinions that may or may not attract criticism from some people in my life… But I worry that I may offend people, and I come to the conclusion that it’s easier to be silent than to say something and offend someone, no matter how unintentional, no matter how important my message may be to others.

Yet I’ve been feeling like I need to speak up too. I’ve been feeling like my voice matters, that the majority isn’t always right, that the minority opinion is only the minority because there are so many others like me who stay silent because they are afraid of voices who are louder than theirs, more aggressive than theirs, more righteous and confident.

And then there are those of us who are afraid to tell the people in our lives how we really feel when they do things that hurt us, because we don’t want to hurt them. So we let it go, again and again, and never speak up, keep our hurts inside until we can’t take it anymore. Or we yell and scream at each other, hurt them like they hurt us, over and over again until the relationship crumbles and breaks. Sometimes we wonder, could we have saved the relationship if we were more honest, if we communicated more openly and trustingly, instead of yelling at each other, hurling insults, and hurting each other.

I wrote about open communication and its importance in relationships some time back. In a way, this post is an extension of what I wrote then, but on a bigger scale. Finding your voice and speaking your truth, isn’t just about communication within one-on-one relationships, it’s bigger than that. It’s about sharing your beliefs and your points of view to make a difference and change the world. Yes, your one voice is powerful enough to do that.

If you were able to speak your truth to one person, who could understand where your coming from and why you think the way that you do, that one person could spread your message to another person, and then another person, and so on.

If you had a bigger platform; a blog, a podcast, a book, a stage, or even just a small dinner table, imagine the impact you could potentially make.

Will there be people who would disagree with you? Yes. Always. No matter where you stand. It’s scary to expose yourself to criticism and judgement when you speak your truth, but if you really believe in it, if it’s important to you, then stand up for it.

You do not have to convince those who are determined not to be convinced. This is your truth, not theirs. You do not have to ridicule them for their beliefs, no matter how it differs from yours, they are speaking their own truths too. Perhaps you may be able to see the other person’s point of view, and they may be able to see yours too, but neither of you need to convert the other. It is enough that you spoke your truth, and it is enough that they spoke theirs.

Below is something I was inspired to write after a channeling session with the goddess Hathor; she has been a wonderful guide and mentor to me in helping me find my voice and speak my truth. If you feel inspired to, or if you need help with finding your voice, I highly recommend that you work with her too.

 

Speak Your Truth with Passion

~ Hazellie Wong © 2017

Speak your truth with compassion
But speak your truth with passion
Do not speak out of vengeance
Or to prove that you are better
But do not lose your voice
For fear you might offend

Your truth may cause discomfort,
may make some angry,
may shatter their beliefs,
but speak your truth loudly
and passionately
because you believe in it,
because it’s important,
because it makes a difference.

Speak your truth with compassion
for your purpose is not to hurt
But speak your truth with passion
because your voice can change the world.