Do you struggle to speak your mind? Have a hard time saying what you want?
Well, you’re not alone. Growing up my foster parents told me I had a problem and I needed to talk about it.
The problem?
I was 8-10 and frankly, I didn’t know what the hell my problem was. I couldn’t put it into words when I had no earthly idea what they meant.
But the effects of this followed me all the through adolescent years and into adulthood.
I couldn’t speak.
I couldn’t speak about what was bothering me.
I couldn’t speak about the things that were making me happy.
I couldn’t speak when the restaurant of choice was one that I hated and I couldn’t make a better suggestion.
I couldn’t speak when I didn’t want to have sex and just gave in.
The only time I could speak was when my kids needed me to, usually when they got in trouble at school or during an IEP meeting to decide what is best.
Until one day I had enough of not being heard, of no one listening to me and no one giving me the respect that I deserved.
The best thing I’ve ever done for myself is going to school and figuring out what I want to do when I grow up and why I want to do it.
Slowly but surely, I started to find my voice by using it, by sharing who I am, what I do and what I stand for.
I have mad love to give this world and I believe that everyone deserves to go after their dream.
My final thought: You can find your voice because just like someone needs to hear what I have to say, someone needs to hear what you have to share.
Get yourself a journal and free write whatever is on your mind. Your journal is not the place to censor you. It is the place however for you to practice using your voice with yourself.
After you have spent time writing out whatever is in your head, read it out loud to yourself. Yes, it’ll look moronic and feel weird but uhh you’re reading it to yourself, not the world.
Slowly but surely you’ll not this spill over into real life.
