Have you ever heard life compared to a story? And you’re
actions compared to words? Do you know that each person is writing their own
story and it’s told in their own voice?
You’re
voice is not just made up of the words you say. It’s who you are. To the very
depths of your soul—your passions, your dreams, your hopes, and your fears.
It’s this voice that tells your story, and it’s this voice that speaks into the
lives of other people. I’m here to ask that you make sure it’s worth listening
to.
Some
people don’t know what their voice sounds like; some have forgotten. Some
people have been through things that others can’t even comprehend. And
sometimes that makes their voice a bit weaker. It’s not as loud or as well
known as others and their voice gets lost in the crowd. People like this need
others to strengthen them, to protect them, and to love them. All of us have
the choice to either add to the deafening chaos of the crowd, or to stand by
the ones who can’t speak for themselves.
I’m
not here to accuse anyone of acting one way or the other; I’m only here to
remind you of the choice. It’s devastating to lose your own voice, to forget
who you are. I have seen so many people who suffer through this. I watch as the
voices of the people around them, put them down, laugh at them, and then forget
them. They’ve been through too much to fight back. They have no voice.
It’s
paralyzing to feel like you’ll never be able to speak. Like your voice will
never matter. And although I’m just as guilty as the next person, it breaks my
heart to watch as people I pass in the hallway, throw out words like they have
no meaning. Our voices matter—more than we will ever know. Careless words can
do just as much damage as a stray bullet. If we make the mistake of thinking
that there are no consequences for our harsh words, mean glances, and jokes at
the expense of others, than we need to wake up.
You
won’t see the tears, and you won’t see the pain. But it’s there. I guarantee
it. You’re voice can break someone more easily than anything else. But if you
choose to be different—your voice can strengthen them, it can protect them, and
it can remind them how to speak.
I
knew a girl once who didn’t know how to speak, only because she had forgotten
that she had a voice. And it took a long time, filled with voices that tore her
down, and voices that built her back up, for her to remember. For her to
realize that she did have a voice; that she mattered.
And
that’s really what I want, for people like her, who feel like they’re
worthless, to remember that they have a voice, and that that voice matters. You
may not always know who these people are. You might know some, but you
certainly don’t know all. We can’t always see what someone’s holding back, what
someone might be hiding. You don’t know everyone’s story. How well do you even know your own?
As
you go through your days, try to be different. You have a voice. It’s what you
say, but even more than that, it’s who you are. You can speak into the lives of
other people, and break them down. You can make them forget that they matter,
just so your voice becomes a little bit louder. Or you can choose to strengthen
them, to protect them, to cancel out the lies they’ve heard. You can remind them
how to speak.
Your
voice speaks into the lives of those around you, so please make sure it’s worth
listening to.
