I read the other day that no two voices are exactly the same. In the entire population of the entire world. Isn’t that wild to think about?
At first, my mind was blown away just imagining all of the different intonations and pitches. But then I went a little deeper and started to think about not just the tone of the voice but what each voice wanted to – needed to – say.
And it’s in this space that I’ve stayed for awhile now – ruminating on how each of us has something to say. And each thing that we want to say – that we were born to say – is different. It can only be expressed through our own voice.
Some of us find that speaking our truth comes easily and effortlessly. And some of us find that it’s extremely uncomfortable and at times can be painful to share our essence with others. And because of this, some of us share it more readily and some of us keep it to ourselves.
The way I see it, there are three types of truth speakers. And we have all been in each of these categories at one point or another in our lives:
- Those who are out there in the world, bravely sharing their truth.
Imagine a moment in your life where you bravely shared your truth with someone. Where you said what you came here to say. Where you authentically expressed it because you knew that it could only come from you. It could only be said by you. Imagine how you felt while you were sharing it. I would guess that you felt empowered and strong and self assured and were brilliantly shining.
- Those who are cowering from their truth.
Now imagine in a moment where you cowered from your truth. Where you were deeply afraid of sharing your inner self with someone else – anyone else. Where you feared that you would be ridiculed or abandoned or yelled at or ignored. And so you kept this truth – this nugget of wisdom – buried inside of your soul. And imagine how you felt when you didn’t share this part of yourself that so desperately wanted/needed to be shared. I would guess that you felt weak and scared and alone and small, so very small.
- Those who are sharing someone else’s truth.
Now imagine that you strongly and bravely shared truth – but it was someone else’s truth. And sometimes, you could be shouting this truth from the rooftops because you believed that it was your own. You wanted it to be your own. But deep down, the truth was that it just wasn’t. It never belonged to you. You thought that by sharing it, you would appear wiser or cooler or more accepted and fit in and all of these things that would make you wanted. Except, you weren’t being YOU. You weren’t being authentic. And imagine how realizing that would make you feel. I would guess that you would feel deflated and depressed and very much like the wind was taken from your sails.
Which category resonates the most with you right now?
Are you content being in that category? If you are living in fear of speaking your truth or if you are speaking someone else’s truth, please know that you aren’t stuck there. You aren’t destined to a lifetime of cowering or not being authentic. That’s one of the most beautiful parts of being alive and having free will. We get to choose which category we want to be in. We get to decide to be truth speakers!
We all were born with a unique voice and with that unique voice comes an equally unique way of sharing our truth and an equally unique truth. And that’s truly a beautiful thing.
Isn’t it time you became a truth speaker?
You are the only one who can speak your own truth with your own voice in your own way. Don’t you think the world wants and needs to hear exactly what you want and need to say?
I think it does.
And I think that we all can choose to use our voices. It’s time that we did exactly that.
Let’s speak our truth – together.
Please spread the love and share this post on Facebook and Twitter!
Hugs,
Hello Jodi!
Great post. It really got me thinking. I have been in all three groups. Now, I am in the first group where I am bold enough to share my truth. I see it as my purpose and gift to the world because it expresses what only I can express. I am all I have to offer and if I hide my truth, or use someone else’s truth, I will never live out my true purpose. Thank you for another beautiful post Jodi. Sending big hugs!
Hi Leah!
I love that you’ve bravely stepped into the first group. It’s so inspiring to feel your love and see you live your purpose. And you’re absolutely right – you’re the only one who can share your message. And I’m grateful that I get to hear it! Love to you!
Great post Jodi! I have been thinking about this topic lately as well. I realized I have been stuck in category 2 (and sometimes 3) and I didn’t really see it and the impacts of it until I missed an amazing opportunity to connect with someone that resonates so much with my truth. Which also made me see how often I made that same mistake with others in the past. Ahh, regrets……..it’s been tough to forgive myself on that one but I am working on that and using it as a driving force to embrace speaking my truth and moving into category 1. So far, it’s been a very positive and rewarding experience and I feel much more at peace speaking my truth then when I was hiding it or speaking someone else’s truth 🙂
Hi Katy!
I’m so glad you’re now starting to embrace speaking your truth rather than hiding from it. I do hope you can show yourself love for your past regrets – remembering that everything always happens how it’s supposed to. And maybe you needed to hide from your truth or share someone else’s so that you could really feel what that felt like and empathize when someone else is going through that in the future? There are always so many blessings and lessons to every choice that we make – and none of them are there to beat ourselves up over. I am so happy that you’re moving into the first category, and I can’t wait to hear your truth – the truth that only you can share! XO
I like this post Jodi! Many years ago I was in #2, A few year’s ago, in the #3 category, Now I’m in #1 the majority of the time……it feels better there too….feels more in alignment with my true essence…..thx for sharing this!
Hi Gina!
I love your progression. I followed the same path of starting in the second category – living in complete fear. Then moving into the third category where I tried on other people’s truth to see how it felt. And now living (mostly) in the first category. Although, I think it’s completely natural for us to move in and out of them. But my home is definitely #1, which feels pretty amazing. Glad you’re there, too! XO
Great post Jodi! It is important to analyze on occasion if we are living our authentic life or allowing someone else to direct our life for us, or hiding our true feelings. It can often be a fine line, and I’m sure I’ve been in each group. There is certainly an ebb and flow to the process. We are only truly free when we speak our own truth.
Hi Cathy!
I completely agree with you that it’s an ebb and flow. I don’t think that we move to one category and then stay there forever. Even if we move to the first one, there will still be times in our life where we’ll feel afraid and won’t share our truth or will catch ourselves living someone else’s. But if we can stay conscious and embrace exactly where we are, I think that will help a lot. Hugs!
Hi Jodi,
I really enjoyed this post,
I’d love to say I speak exclusively from #1 these days, but sadly, no. I’m certainly trending in that direction, and hope that I speak mostly from there. A lot of what I say and how I present myself in the world, certainly comes from a desire to express and share my truth.
I try not to feel down on myself for those times when I am scared to confront my own truth, or to speak it. Sometimes we don’t had the confidence, or the tools needed to feel safe. At those points, I think it can be helpful to do some tool gathering, rather than back ourselves into a corner.
Sometimes I’ve spoken someone else’s truth because it’s close to my own truth, or the truth that I want to be living from, and I’m trying it on for size. It doesn’t make it my truth, but it’s a step in the right direction, in a weird sort of way.
Hi Dave,
Thanks for your thoughtful comment!
You really make such great points. I love what you said about not feeling down when you are afraid and to use it as a space to gather tools and gain confidence – knowing that you’ll speak it eventually.
I think we have all done what you mentioned for the third category – we try on someone else’s truth before settling into our own. I certainly did that with this blog, in fact. When I first started, I tried to follow a proven formula for blogging, and every time I did that, it just hurt something inside my soul. And so my brain was saying to do one thing, but my heart was urging me to do another. Thankfully, my heart won out because this space has become such a sanctuary for me – a space that’s my truest essence, rather than someone else’s truth.
I look forward to reading your blog!
I belong to the first category, most of the time!
Interesting fact: If you translate ‘truth-speaker’ to German literally, you get the German word for ‘fortune teller’!
Hi Sibylle!
That’s so funny that truth speaker translates into fortune teller. I’m sure there has to be a meaning to that on some deep level, but it’s just not coming to me at the moment! Maybe that we’re the only ones who can know our own future and to create it we must first speak it? (It’s a stretch, I know…) 🙂
Hi Jodi, what an interesting article…….I think I have been in all three categories, can you be in all three at the same time? I think last year was a period of cowering, this year is a combination of the last two, but I think I am on the cusp of finding my authentic, original voice…….after groping in the dark perhaps it will burst forth as a thing of beauty…….and shine. but at other times, i think I might be misunderstood, you just never know, but have to keep on following your intuition until you find a tribe that understands i guess, i think goddess circle is great for this, Hugs, Clare
sorry I meant the first and the last, not the last two
Hi Clare!
I definitely think you can be in all 3 categories at the same time. For instance, you could be speaking your truth with your friends and family but not publicly. Or you could be sharing someone else’s truth with one person and your own with someone else. I think it’s really important to be conscious of it and recognize when it’s occurring. I’m so glad that you’re on the cusp of finding your authentic voice. It’s there inside of you – just waiting for you to tap into it and express it. Isn’t that exciting to think about? I once had a mentor tell me to start by preaching to the choir with the windows closed. And then once I felt more comfortable, open the windows and let my truth be heard by all. This was such great advice! Hugs! 🙂
Hi Jodi,
What a thought provoking post. Thank you. I have danced in each circle throughout my lifetime. Thankfully, I live and love in the first group now. It feels good to share my truth, warts and all! Big LOVE to you Jodi. XO
Hi Shann!
I LOVE that you’re bravely sharing your truth – it’s so inspiring to see, and you do it so beautifully. I certainly don’t see any warts – only pure love! Big love back to you, sweet friend. XO
Great post! I love your work and the “feeling” of your website and I always enjoy your artwork.
Thank you so much for such kind words, Nora! I’m so glad you’re here! Big hug!
Jodi, thank you for this thought-provoking post. I think all of us want to say that yes, we always speak out truth! And it’s only when we’re gently confronted with what we normally do when we think it’s not safe to speak that truth that we realize how often we actually hide it. Thanks for the reminder.
Hi Nancy!
You’re so welcome! I agree that it’s these gentle reminders that are so helpful for all of us to go within and see if we’re living on purpose. It’s about being conscious and walking through life with our eyes and hearts open. Hugs!
I have been in the first catergory for some time now. I think there was a time when I was younger when I was more timid about sharing my truth, and certainly in my early twenties when I was in university discovering many new philosophies I was prone to take these on as my own, still trying to find my own truth. It has been a learning process and each day I uncover more and more of my own truth. Thanks for this Jodi!
*soft smile* – to be honest, I waver between all three categories at different times and for different truths. Sometimes I speak my own truth boldly – other times I hide from it – and yet other times, I find other people’s truths that fit me, at least for a while (until they don’t any more).
I think it’s OK – at least for me – to not be a bold speaker of my own individual truth every moment of ever day. I think if I were, I’d end up exhausted. And I think if I tried to be, I might end up rejecting truths that fit me perfectly in the moment, simply because they also happened to be someone else’s truth.
Which is – at least in this moment of here and now – my own truth 😉