HOW TO USE YOUR VOICE By Andrea Sipcic
We often hear these phrases of encouragement, amongst others, urging us to speak up for ourselves, be heard, and express our real feelings. This can lead us to believe, aside from our potential awareness of our own hesitancies around this, that this is a very common issue that many face. For a moment though, let’s actually look at the why. Why is it so hard for so many of us to express ourselves and what we’re really feeling? Could it be that maybe we grew up in a family where this was not a common habit and no one really expressed their true feelings and intentions? Maybe if they tried to, it was usually coated with a rough layer of anger and hostility. Or maybe we feel we will be judged for what our true feelings and desires are, based on the possibility of this having occurred in the past and not wanting to face ridicule? Perhaps we don’t speak up out of fear? Fear of what may happen or what outcome may result from this unveiling, or that our feelings are deemed “wrong”?
