I don’t know about you but I can’t say I love watching back or hearing recordings of my voice. There’s something about hearing your own voice back that for some reason is a bit skin-shuddering and awkward, don’t you think?!
Today I’d love to invite us to think about how we can see our voice as a gift that we can use for good and for change; to bring that relief, joy and comfort as we did with our very first breath.
Let’s think about this in 2 ways…
For those in front of you
We all have an immediate circle of influence filled with close friends and family, peers at school or college, the people who fill our regular weekly routines. Each day is a brand new opportunity to use your words to encourage others, make someone feel great about themselves, empower, comfort, or stand up for what is right. Each day also holds the potential for our voices to tear down, dishonour, disrespect and gossip. On average women use 20,000 words a day! We shape who we and who others become by the words we choose and the way we use our voices towards those around us. It’s an amazing thing to be able to change another person’s day for good by the words we speak to them.
For those around you
Each day the news and social media don’t let us forget how broken our world is. Sometimes it feels like too much to take in! The conversation of race and racial injustice, which has been brought to the forefront of our attention following the recent and entirely unjust death of George Floyd, is just one reminder of the inequalities and injustices that so sadly surround us today. When we think back to how different injustices have been tackled historically, a person’s voice has a big part to play. Whether it’s educating others, speaking up in an area of injustice, or speaking and acting on behalf of a people who don’t have a public voice. Our words, used peacefully and thoughtfully, have the power to bring about change.
I wonder if there’s a specific injustice or problem in the world around you which makes you feel especially upset, angry or despairing? Maybe you’ve been created to feel this way in order to be a voice for change in that area, a voice that brings justice one step closer, a voice that teams up with other voices to make a loud enough sound that something has to be different as a result.
Your voice matters. Your voice is important. Your voice is a gift. What will you do with it today?
Photo by Kate Kalvach
