How many of you have read Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own? It’s a classic in feminist literature. Yet, if you know about Virginia’s life, she definitely had a voice of her own but she didn’t have the cultural and personal support to heal from her trauma. I wrote about her and me in my memoir section called “Virginia Woolf and Me” p. 105 if you have the book.
Anyway, my point today is that even after all this time women are still struggling to find their own voice because we carry centuries of intention silencing, which turns into self-silencing. Our self-silencing happens without our awareness of it. Until it doesn’t.
My clients this week came to me with a realization of moments when they silenced their truth, when they weren’t able to say ‘no’ or to speak the words that needed to be spoken for them to experience a sense of being deeply authentic.
The good news is that moments like this are important and inevitable! When there is awareness of them, you can make new choices next time. I love nothing more than validating these moments that still carry a little doubt for you because they feel risky.
A voice of your own is why you are here. It is your purpose to express your individuality, to allow your spirit to take shape, to send out your unique point of view, your truth, your long- held wisdom that’s never been expressed because you didn’t feel safe to do so, or you didn’t have the support to help you to see your own brilliance.
That’s why I’m here. It’s what I do. I’m midwife for your voice. But you must be willing to nurture it. Gestation takes time.
For Reflection
What is seeking to be born through you now?
Spend a few moments with that question. Listen. Write. Notice what arises.
And if you find yourself wanting a companion for that exploration, I’d love to talk with you. [Book a Conversation]
