What you say is just as important as how you say it. And being able to speak up for yourself can be difficult if you have been mocked with prior attempts. Fear of being judged can often lead to an inability to speak. But living a lie in order to please those in our lives can only cause more harm than good. Finding ones voice is not easy, but once you hear it, it can be life altering. Your voice helps you communicate your thoughts and opinions, sharing with others what you stand for and how you view the world around you.

Bringing Confidence To Your Voice

By introducing confidence to your voice, you will undoubtedly start to become more confident. And ironically, by default you will find your voice. Seems so simple when you put it that way, and yes, easier said than done, but with a little practice, you can start on this path.

Consciously slowing down when speaking, will help you think about the words you are using, and by trying to be concise with your choice of words, you eliminate filler words that muddy your message. Remember to breathe as you speak. Musicians that use a wind instrument know how important it is to breathe at key points in the music to not run out of breath. If you have ever read passages from a book out loud, you would also notice how you need to take a breath every now and then. By doing this exercise, you can let the grammar guide you for those breaks in the written words to take a breath.

Watch where you speak from as well. If you allow it to come from deep within you, your true voice starts to come out. When you limit your voice to your nasal passage or your throat, you are limiting how much of “you” comes out, you barely scratch the surface. Simple vocal exercises can teach you how to use your voice, and project outwards. Singers and performers often incorporate a vocal workout to strengthen their vocal cords. It also increases vocal range and enhances the tone of your voice too. By claiming “verbal” space, you are claiming your presence.

What Is My True Voice?

A person’s true voice is a representation of who they are as an individual. What do they stand for, what do they believe to be true in their world. It is also about being of value to those around you, whether it be family, friends, or colleagues. The hard part is differentiating between the voice we think others want to hear, and our true self. We often fear that if we hold different points of view, different beliefs, that we will be judged, we won’t be loved, we won’t be appreciated. But for those courageous enough to stand behind their true voice, eventually those barriers are no longer obstacles in our way.

Artistic Voice

For creative types, finding one’s voice is about finding one’s distinctive style or vision, artistically speaking. What underlying themes motivate you to express yourself creatively? What inspires your work? Have you ever lost track of time being in flow? What were you doing? I’m guessing you were enjoying yourself, or at least a part of what you were doing was giving you a little bit of happiness. Whether that was working out a problem, creating a new piece, or learning something new. Artists often go through phases in their work, and it often reflects the changing voice of the artist over time.

How Do I Find My Voice?

If you are in a stage in life where you are not sure what your voice is, do an exercise of self-exploration. Ask yourself a few simple questions, although the answers may be harder to come by:

• What values do you hold?
• What are you passionate about?
• What are you good at?
• What do you want to get better at?
• How do you want to make an impact?
• What fears do you have?
• What keeps you up at night?
• What have you kept secret from those closest to you?

Once you have answered some of these questions, how much of that is based on others perceptions or expectations of you? How much of that is truly you? Is there anything you don’t believe, but nonetheless feel guilty of not believing? Do you pretend to believe something in fear of retribution, criticism, judgement or punishment? We force things upon ourselves sometimes because of family, cultural norms, societal pressures…but what if you could walk away? What would you be left with? Does that make you happy? Be your true self, and don’t be afraid to show the world.

What do you want your voice to say?

We live in a world that can be scary, and being true to yourself can at times have consequences. But the greater cost is to yourself. Hiding and denying who you are will only harm you in the long run. Set up boundaries if you have to to protect yourself, whether that be from family, your colleagues, your friends. Find ways to express your voice, sometimes it is hardest with those closest to us, but you need to start somewhere. For those that cannot accept your voice as truth, you are better off without them in your life.

IMAGE CREDIT: Unsplash | Jason Rosewell.