When you own your voice, you find the freedom to trust your intuition and follow it without abandoning yourself. You begin to say and do what youfeel is in the interest of your own well-being, others’ well-being, and the well-being of the Earth without allowing our fear of others’ judgment, hostility, or rejection to silence you.
For far too long we have been seduced into walking a path that did not lead us to ourselves. For far too long we have said yes when we wanted to say no. And for far too long we have said no when we desperately wanted to say yes.
–Terry Tempest Williams
When we own our voice, we find the strength to trust that what we say matters. We become more resilient in difficult times. Because we have developed an attitude of loving-kindness and acceptance toward ourselves, we are able to turn toward the person standing next to us and encourage them, too, to own their voice. What can you do today to own your voice? How can you be a voice for yourselves, others, and the Earth?
Jen Johnson is a mindfulness coach and therapist teaching meditation for stress reduction and resilience. Sign up for Jen’s 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction online course to learn meditation and support you in owning your voice.