Reconnecting With Your Voice

“You were always a mouthy child,” said my grandmother’s neighbor. She was talking about me. My mom and I smiled politely. She could have meant talkative, but we both sensed she was calling me a brat.  It was at this moment that my mom gave me one of the greatest gifts. After the neighbor left, my mom looked at me and said “I have no clue what she is talking about.” 

A talkative child? Yes, I was a talkative child (shocker).  A confident child who used her voice? I like to think so. But “mouthy” as in rude? I don’t think so, and thankfully my mom didn’t either. 

This week’s podcast guest is fellow HGC contributor Dawn Geschiere. We talked about living our life as our most authentic self and she shared how children can be our best teachers since they do this naturally. 

As we grow, we sometimes feel like our voice becomes smaller as the world gets bigger. We can end up molded and shaped not into who we truly are, but rather who we think the world expects or needs us to be.  Reconnecting with our voice can often look like a return to our childlike selves, breaking out of the box that others (or ourselves) have placed us in.  

How often do we label people “mouthy,” “rude,” “trouble maker,” or worse simply because they use their voice?  How often have we attempted to silence someone’s voice because we didn’t agree with them? I’m guilty of doing it and have also been on the receiving end of that exchange.

Being shamed as an adult for using my voice shut me down. I thought I lost my voice in 2020, but turns out I was just nurturing it. Much like everything in life, I was given an opportunity to really explore why and how I use my voice and get back to who I truly am.

What if the thing that you thought was meant to silence you could be the thing that fuels you? How can you lean in to your voice in 2021?

This post is written in partnership with #HerGrowthCollective, encouraging women to walk the path of self-development together.