She is confident, honest, brave and a champion - what is not to like!

Megan Anna Rapinoe is best summed up as a champion footballer and equally powerful advocate for LGBT, Women's rights (she has driven the equal pay legal challenge for U.S. women soccer team), and racial equality, even taking on the President. 

And that, my friends, is how I came up with the title for this lesson, finding your voice. 

About Megan's Sport

American professional soccer player who plays as a winger and captains O.L. Reign in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in the U.S. She has won, Ballon d'Or Féminin, named The Best FIFA Women's Player in 2019, won gold with the national team at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. She played for the team at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, where the U.S. finished second. 

She won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France. This list goes on.....

But if you do not know her, you can see why she won the golden boot in this video below.

What Rapinoe teaches us in her own words.

"I look at it not as something that's negative, but I have this privilege, so I get to use this privilege in order to help dismantle all of these unfair systems and cruel systems and, frankly, the just downright wrong systems in our country"

"I feel like it's actually everybody's responsibility to use whatever platform they have to do good in the world, and to try make our society better, whether you're an accountant or an activist or an athlete or whatever it is. I think it's everybody's responsibility." 

"This is my charge to everybody, Do what you can. Do what you have to do. Step outside of yourself. Be more. Be better. Be bigger than you've ever been before." 

"Be honest about how you approach failure. Don't just be critical of yourself because that can be self-serving. Approach it honestly, assess your performance, and assess the areas where you have fallen short. Correct them and move on. Don't dwell on it. Don't hold on to it."

These quotes come from

Read more at: https://yourstory.com/herstory/2019/07/inspirational-quotes-megan-rapinoe-soccer-usa

My Take - What We Can Learn and Do

I think what Megan is doing is making us all ask ourselves one of the biggest questions we can in our lives. What is my voice?

And before you think, I am no sports star, I am not a social advocate; I want to be clear, it doesn't have to be about being a public advocate for social change.

The question is far more personable, what is your authentic voice? What do you want to say to the world?

And while your voice may be influenced by others, in the end, it must be yours. And that's what I want you to find.

Finding your voice can be like asking someone to find their life purpose, and that could take a whole blog. 

But in a nutshell, just keep asking the question, gently, of yourself, and it will unfold.

Keep asking yourself, what is my voice? Your voice may about being more respectful of yourself, learning to be assertive. 

It may be about having the courage to say kind things, to show your emotions.

Both are life changers for you and the world. 

As you learn to develop your potential, others learn from your example. 

And I cannot tell you how powerful, honest, kind words can be. I will go as far as saying they can save people's lives. When things are really tough, just a few kind words from someone can be a salvation. And the funny thing is you may never know how impactful you have been. 

So use 2021 to think gently to yourself, what is my voice?

And when you think about this and decide to follow a path of gaining more of your voice, you may have friends, family, work colleagues, others being dismissive or even rude. If you are becoming more assertive, you may even get push back from others.

But that is where Megan's second point comes in, don't be afraid of mistakes and don't be self-critical; that is counterproductive.

Although that is easier said than done, I know. So finding your own voice also means finding tools to build and work on your self-esteem and self-worth. And if your motivation is to live as the true you, to find your voice, I think you can find the motivation to keep going.

As always to me, these are not just words to me; I am living them daily. Putting these post up are my voice out there. But you know what, regardless of what happens - this is my voice, I am doing it, and so can you! 

Ask yourself daily and gently (you don't have to push), what is my voice, what do I want to say to the world that uplifts me and others. 

Welcome 2021

Cheers

Darren

"Be more. Be better. Be bigger than you've ever been before." Megan Rapinoe