Fish and kids don’t have a voice.

I’m a lifelong learner, so when the opportunity comes to learn something new, I’m all over it! I spent Saturday afternoon in a virtual workshop surrounded by fourteen incredible women learning how to recover my authentic voice's power. Over the last few years, as I’ve been learning how to become more “me” (aka recovering from the belief that I should be like others), I’ve also pondered how I let my true voice free in the most authentic way. 

Have you ever found yourself in the corner of the conference room during a brainstorming session, wanting to share your great idea, but your inner critic was serving you all the reasons why you shouldn’t speak up? Have you ever felt like your ideas were overlooked or ignored, but when somebody else said it, it came with much approval or recognition, leaving you… baffled? Or you wanted to share your wisdom that came from your heart, your experience, and your knowledge, but instead, you stayed silent from the fear of being too much, keeping your mouth shut, and just agreeing with everyone else? 

I always knew I had a powerful voice. I’m not talking about the sound of my voice or my accent; rather, my authentic voice, the one that comes from the deep parts of my heart and my soul, colored by my life experiences and the choices I made. Growing up, I often heard the phrase, “Fish and kids don’t have a voice.” That message carried out with me for most of my life, living in the depth of my subconscious. I consciously had to remind myself to speak my truth using my authentic voice despite all the reasons I should be quiet. It wasn’t always easy, but so very important.

When I use my authentic voice, I can be the leader, partner, business owner, and parent I want to be, and I need to be for my team and my family. When I choose to use my voice, I make decisions without second-guessing my choices; I use my imagination and curiosity to overcome my fear of being seen for who I am. When I write, I ground myself, draw my breath, open my heart and let my voice fly without being afraid to speak my mind and share my challenges with the world, knowing that my story can help others. When I set my vision in action, I guide others to success; when I brainstorm freely with my team without any judgment, I often thank my inner critic, who wants to protect me from the danger of being seen and heard. There are so many beautiful benefits of letting my voice fly freely.

I know it’s not easy to speak from my heart, to let my authentic voice be heard. There will always be those who choose to disagree with me or make me feel like I don’t know what I’m talking about. And it’s up to me how I react to the situation - do I let them take me down because I believe their words over my truth, or do I stand in my power, owning my power, believing that I have a right to speak using my authentic voice?

I continue reminding myself that to be a successful leader supported by a strong, innovative, and dedicated team, I need to own my voice, passion, and vision and speak of it often so others - and I - don’t lose sight of it. I give myself permission to follow my dream to be the best leader for my team, to be the best parent for my kids, and the best coach for my clients. This is what makes me different and unique from everyone else - my authentic voice. So instead of trying to sound like everyone else, I choose to embrace my voice every chance I get.

I’m curious, instead of holding your voice back, what could you do instead? How could you embrace your authentic voice and let it be heard? What actions could you take to express the new aspect of yourself? What is the smallest step you can take toward releasing your inner voice? 

Instead of holding your voice back, you play with it and have fun letting your voice be heard, if only during dinner with your family or a 1:1 meeting with your most trusted employee. Be a little more playful, allow yourself to be a little more joyful, bring some fun to the conversation, and create a safe environment where you can express your ideas and creativity in a true, authentic way, if only for this one meeting, if only for today.

I can’t wait to hear your voice!