"Every time I use my voice, I win."

‘Unlock the power of your voice’ is the most overused, yet under-explained concept that has ever come from the cliche world.?

For three years, I’ve been tapped as the annual presenter for a non-profit’s kick off series aptly named, “Unlocking the Power of Your Voice.” I have the distinct pleasure of speaking to the youth about leveraging media at their fingertips to propel their personal campaigns forward. I’ve taught many audiences cause advocacy tactics to use on social media, in personal statements and even in resume revisions.?

All the while, I was being a total hypocrite.?

While I was on these stages evangelizing the good word of vocalization, really and truly, I didn’t have a clue. Yes, I knew how to leverage media platforms for amplifying a message. However, my teachings were only portraying one part of the story. It wasn’t until this year, at the ripe age of 31 that I learned to hear my own inner voice.?

That inner voice has been my guiding light my entire life. That voice was the one that kept me safe and sane. That voice is the one that carried me from good ole’ South Baton Rouge to New York City. The same voice that traveled with me up and down the East Coast and all across the globe.

That voice is my intuition and you have one too. We all have it naturally, however, we have deadened it over time. In some cases, we buried that voice out of survival. Now, we are starting to realize that was against our better judgment. We decided to make room for new voices that would much rather dominate the soundtrack of our lives.?

I always think of the adage, “The child who cries the loudest gets fed.” It makes me wonder, whether the new, much louder voices were ever the best for you? Or do those voices become the ones it takes 10 years of intense therapy to silence?

If you grew up in a similar environment, I send silencing energy to the voices in your head that ever made you feel inadequate when accomplishing extraordinary things. You can turn those voices down and dial up the amplification of your own. I spent years doing the dance for approval all in the spirit of achievement.

Now, I realize that all the while none of that “two-step tootsie rolling” mattered. Now that I can hear my own voice, all the games are over. My inner voice projects at a sonic boom, while opposing voices are on mute. I am the resident DJ in my mind and it's wonderful here. Every time I use my [inner] voice, I win.?

Listening is what gave me the depth and perception of this inner voice. Listening has given me the subtle knowledge I’ve been seeking my entire adult life. Now, to avoid getting too “meta” in this piece, I won’t go any further than that…

-Ariel (03/21/2022)