Have 2020 and 2021 been the years that we’ve all been waiting for all along?

Hear me out. 

Yes, we’ve had it rough in regards to health, politics, and mental health. 

Yes, we’ve dealt with unprecedented uncertainty and societal pressures. 

The past two years we’ve been tugged this way and that, pulled in opposite directions, and generally, just pushed to our limits. We were forced to do things so uncomfortable, 

so outside of our “normal,” that maybe these past few years were a good thing, 

a blessing in disguise. 

 

Because of these troubling times, we found growth. Now, we can all remember physically growing up as children – growth isn’t easy or comfy. One day we’re 3 foot nothing and the next we’ve sprouted up past 4. It can sometimes be painful. It can sometimes be hard on the body. Mental growth is very much like the physical and 2020/2021 were a couple years of hard growth.

Many of us were forced to find new paths. From family life to career, our stability was shaken to its core. Some of us were left jobless, others were faced with the change of family dynamics. Maybe, you battled both. We all were scrambling to make ends meet. This disruption of our collective daily life forced us to dive deep within our very souls to discover what we are truly made of.

Recreating your future, rewriting your script, starting over, or just thinking about it, can be difficult. Know that you are not alone. This global shift knocked us all right out! Figuring left from right, managing up and down, even just finding matching socks, all of a sudden became this monumental task. And with all that, you’ve got to now forge a new path for yourself? 

 

Girl, you deserve a breath or seven. Maybe a marg, too. 

But you know what? Life threw a hard curveball at you and you are still here, reading this blog, actively searching for a way to make your next move. 

 

You are alive and you are strong. 

So, the next move. A little scary, huh? 

How do you find confidence? How do you find your voice or speak with a new voice emerging?

As with anything, it takes practice.

You must learn to tune in and trust your own inner voice. Creating a solid bond with your inner voice makes it easier to use that voice in the outside world.

3 PRACTICAL WAYS TO TAP INTO YOUR INNER VOICE

Step 1: Sit in Silence

Set aside time, daily, to sit in silence. Whether that is lying on the floor with your feet up the wall, sitting in meditation, or going for an easy afternoon walk. Let thoughts and ramblings and all the clutter of your mind wash over you. As the moments drift on, as your mind ebbs and flows, clarity will reveal itself. The truth of your being will reveal itself. 

A singular feeling of connectedness will arise, if we allow it.

Sounds a bit wishy washy or cliché, but it is so very true, my friend. Not only do we have to silence the outside world to hear our true selves speak, we have to actually believe in what it has to say. 

Trust is hard. As we move through the world, it gets harder to trust others. And now, I’m asking you to trust yourself? Trust a voice you’ve pushed down for years? A voice that only started popping out because chaos erupted around us for the past 2 years? 

 

Step 2: Put Pen to Paper

Yes. Yes, I am asking you to trust your voice. I’ve struggled with this my entire adult life. The single most powerful tool for beginning to trust what your soul is trying to tell you is journaling. Pen to paper emotion spilling didn’t come easily for me and it still doesn’t, but it works. When you can’t speak it out loud, use the power of journaling to get whatever is crying to get out of your mind onto paper.

Once you’ve found that inner connection to your voice (or new voice) practice, again. 

 

Step 3: Say it Out Loud

This time practice speaking aloud. If you feel uncomfortable speaking to your friends or family, practice with your dog – they make great listeners. Practice in front of a mirror. Get the words out of your head and speak them into existence – what do you want for yourself and what are the actions that you are willing to take in order to get to where you want to be? 

Tuning into your inner voice and allowing her to speak may reveal something new. Maybe, your “why” has changed. Maybe, you feel like you have a new purpose. We are not stagnant beings. Change is inevitable. It’s easier when we are in line with what our soul is calling for. 

 

I’d like to believe 2020 and 2021 were the catalysts we needed for metamorphosis. We have always been destined to be something beautiful. The lessons we’ve learned and challenges we’ve overcome will give way to allowing more growth. Wherever our new paths lead us, we can lean into the new voices emerging and actually listen. We can create more beauty in the world knowing we have overcome and persevere in the face of instability and uncertainty.