Use your voice
Photography by Katie Lawman @lawmanandco
Using your voice is one of the most important things you will ever learn to do. Not the polished, perfect version of your voice. Not the voice that tries to say the “right” thing. Your real voice. The one that comes from your truth, your experiences, your intuition, and your heart
For a long time, many of us are taught to shrink ourselves. To speak gently. To avoid “making things a problem.” To keep the peace. To not stir anything up. And when we live like that for too long, we start to believe that our thoughts are not valid or that someone else always knows better
But your voice is worthy. Your feelings matter. Your experiences matter. And when something feels wrong, or when something crosses a boundary, or when something goes against who you are, you are allowed to say something. In fact, you are meant to
Standing up for what is right does not require you to be loud or confrontational. It requires you to be aligned with your own integrity. It requires you to trust yourself enough to speak even when your voice shakes. It requires the courage to say, “This does not feel right to me,” even if someone else tries to convince you that you are being dramatic or sensitive or difficult
Using your voice is not about proving anything. It is about honouring yourself
There will always be people who minimise what you say. There will always be people who misunderstand you. There will always be people who make you feel small because they do not want to look at their own behaviour. That has nothing to do with your worth. You are allowed to take up space. You are allowed to express how you feel. You are allowed to advocate for what you believe in
Every time you speak up, you strengthen the relationship you have with yourself. You teach yourself that you can be trusted. You show yourself that you will not abandon your own truth for the comfort of someone else
Using your voice is an act of self-respect. And the more you practice it, the more natural it becomes. One day, you look back and realise you no longer second-guess every feeling. You no longer silence your intuition. You no longer shrink just to make other people more comfortable
Your voice is powerful. Your truth is important. And you deserve to be heard
