Finding Your Voice

Have you ever found your self searching, trying to figure out what you wanted to do with your life, your business, your career, your blog, or whatever it was.  I have.  Recently, I’ve been trying to figure out what I want to say and who I want to say it to through my blog.I went for a walk along the beach today and it came to me… I have been trying to “find” my voice.  Like it was something outside of me and that if I could just find it……but my voice isn’t lost and it isn’t outside of me.  We all have a voice…the question is, are we listening and are we allowing our voice to speak?I’ve been keeping mine quiet because I was trying to stick it in a box, putting parameters on it… trying to figure out which parts of me to share in my “business” blog.  There are a couple explatives I’d like to share now but we don’t know each other well enough yet…  I was holding back my spirit and my humanity but aren’t those just the things we need in business, to bring our whole selves?  Yes!We can get so caught in the “shoulds” and “the way things are” or “the way it’s always been done” and put ourselves in that little box, confine our voice, dampen our passion and our Spirit.  What does that do to us and what does that do to our world?Our voices need to be heard… and our humanity and Spirit; that bold fiery part of us that is alive and willing to do what is right and just and best for all, needs to be supported, exercised, strengthened… allowed.What I decided is that the way to “find my voice” is to use my voice… yours too.  Let them out of the box.Use your voice.  This is our world and this is your life…  and it is what we make of it.  We can be controlled by outside influences that say we should follow, stay in line.  We can be controlled by inside influences that tell us we “should do it right” or be perfect or that we must follow and fit in.  But it is time to speak up, speak out and stand for something… to make the world and our world as great as it can be.  Use your voice… you know what you want to say, you know what is right… if you’re not sure, start talking and listen to what you have to say.Years ago I managed a clinic.  When I started asking the opinions and insights of my receptionist and my nurses on important business decisions they started to flourish.  They took more responsibility for their job and for their part of the whole.  Their confidence and self esteem went up.  Of course, the clinic ran great.How do you turn that to you?  We get so caught up in following or doing what we think we should, we don't listen to ourselves.  So, start listening... the way I listened to my employees and let them know what they had to say was valuable.

• When you get that internal niggle that says "this isn't right" stop and listen.
• The next step is to act on what you know by making choices and speaking out based on that niggle.  Whether that is saying no to a second serving, not going along with business practices like Enron, or giving a compliment when the desire comes up.

It's like an intenea.  Whatever station we're tuned to, that's what comes in louder.  It's not that the other stations aren't there, we're just not focused on them.  If you tune into you, tune in to the powerful part of you, that message will become clearer and stronger.  This is as true for outside influences versus you personal voice, as well as listening to that powerful, positive part of you versus the negative part of you.  What we tune into gets stronger the more we listen to it.  Try it for a week, then another, see what happens and how much stronger your voice gets and how much easier it gets to do what is yours to do.

• Also, in moments of choice, practice asking for what you want or voicing your opinion.  In little choices as well as big.  How often do we just go along with something, do something we don't really want to just because.  "What would you like to do?"  "I don't know, what would you like to do?"  The more we listen to and value or opinion and act on it, the stronger we become and the easier it is to hear that voice.

Listen to your self.  Listen to what you have to say.  Define your choices and your life by what comes from within.  Show your self that your voice, your opinion and choice matter... build a life that helps you to flourish.

"If you do not express your original ideas,if you do not listen to your own being,you will have betrayed yourself."Rollo May

Trust your voice and use it.  Build the kind of life and world you want to live in!And me, what did I do about finding my voice?  One of the things I realized is that looking outside my self for what I was writing was definately not esteeming or empowering.  In doing that I was being critical of my self and I was feeling resistant to blogging.   It makes sense.  Why would I want to do something when I was being criticized, not trusted or believed in, before I even started.  So... I came to it with new thoughts and beliefs.  I'm going to do it my way and trust that.The more I write and grow those skills, along with studying blogging, the better I'll become at mixing my own voice with what works business wise.  And the first thing I need to do is trust me.  When I do that, it's easier to grow and get better.   Start where I am with what I have... and get better as I go.This is a post script, I'm thinking about facebook and using my voice there more too.  What came to me is how we question what we have to share, and how much garbage is posted.  There is so much more interesting, thought provoking, individual and community building information and conversation to share.  Listen to your voice, and your heart, and share what is true to you, what's important to you.   Yes, it vulnerable, and it creates a better world... whether that is your world or our world.  Talk about what's important to you, share your views... know that what you have to say is important...Here's a great bit of wisdom from the author Pam Grout from "Living Big".  "Don't we have anything better to read (talk/write) about.  If the 7 million readers of "Ladies' Home Journal" would all wonder instead, "what can I do to imporve my own soul?" or "How could I make our schools more loving?" the big problems we're so afraid of would be solved in a year.  Seven million people focusing on issues like that would be an unstoppable force."Trust your self.  Trust your voice.  We need you... and more importantly... you need you.

"Be someone amazing... be your self!"Lisa K Bradley

Go For Extraordinary!LisaFor more…If you're thinking about blogging, check out “18 Stupid Mistakes Bloggers Make in their First Year” by Christine Kane  for some great tips and treasures.  And, for help with how to gain readers, check out  http://www.theresasheridan.com/blog/16-top-places-to-list-your-blog-and-build-your-community/And if you want want to get inspired about speaking up and standing for what you believe… earlier today I watched the film “Flow“.  [Irena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis.  Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel.]  I highly recommend it.