What if what you need to say doesn't want to be heard?
I've been doing a lot of work recently on uncovering my own truth, finding my own voice, and sharing my own story. It is continuous work, and sometimes what is discovered can shake you to the core.
I've always been clear that my message is to remind people, women in particular, that their voice matters, their stories matter, they matter. That everyone has a story to tell and everyone deserves to be heard.
I also am clear that my WHY is to spark real conversations that create real change in the world.
One way I do that is to say what needs to be said.
And, as you can imagine, what needs to be said is often what doesn't want to be heard.
Like we are all connected - the human race - and what happens to the least of us happens to the rest of us.
Like we are our own heroes - no one is coming to "save" us, but we are deserving of receiving what we need, when we need it.
Like everyone is created equal - no matter their skin color, birthplace, health, or parents.
Like everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect and shown compassion and empathy.
Like we are capable of so much more than we can even imagine - more love, joy, connection, and success. But somewhere along the way we were told, and continue to believe, that we don't deserve to be happy, especially if/when someone is sad.
Like it is possible, required actually, to care deeply your family and friends while also caring about what is happening to strangers you will never meet on the other side of the world (or even in the next town over or house next door).
I don't always find this way of thinking easy.
It is hard to stand in my truth when asked if a KKK member has a story that deserves to be heard. I don't want to give hate a platform.
And yet, it is not my place to make my message easy to swallow.
It is not my job to make your life comfortable.
It is so much easier to stay numb. To just get by - day to day - and only opening yourself up to what is required to survive.
To limit your emotional response to only a small fraction of what is available because we've been taught that feeling too much is a bad thing.
But what if we could feel 2% happier? 2% more compassion? 2% more empathy? 2% more hope?
Would it be worth also feeling 2% sadder or 2% angrier or 2% more anxious?
What if you could choose?
These are the questions that keep me up at night.
How can we bring more compassion, more connection, more community, more creativity into the world?
How can we share our message in a bigger way without being attached to how it makes others feel?
How can we stand in the truth of our story and believe in the power of our voice? Because that is the only way true change will happen in this world.
And, most importantly, how can I support you in doing this work of bring your story to life?
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There is nothing more powerful or magical than a woman who has found her voice and is ready to share her story. She can literally change the world. And right now, the world is calling out for women to rise up and take a stand.
If you are feeling the pull to stand out, be heard, and lead with confidence, then join me in the next round of Message Revolution. We start August 7th. Get all the details at http://www.kristinashands.com/message-revolution.
