Speak Up! An Ode to the Throat

To speak or not to speak- that is the real question. 
I speak only the truth. Okay...maybe I slip up once in a while, but I can assure you, I always speak my truth. No, but really, this is the truth. 

There are truths which are not for all men, nor all times. - Voltaire

Good man, that Voltaire. Definitely would've been an American in our time; I mean, where else will someone "defend to the death" your right to speak up?? That quote, by the way, is sometimes attributed to Voltaire, though it was actually written by Evelyn Beatrice Hall, who created it to describe V's philosophy. But back to the point- in America, we have a law (freedom of speech, anyone?) defending our right to talk, and, more importantly for some, to talk shit! I mean, Fox News isn't news, that's just talking shit--and they know it. Pure entertainment. But we still have ABC, NBC and CNN to show us the opposing "news" and sometimes even real news, so it all works out. It's great to live in a country where we're allowed to speak up- even if most only use it to talk trash. 

.....right?

Maybe. But what if those of us who actually have something important to say, don't? 

What are you saying? 
Or not saying? 
Do you actually say anything? 
Or just talk trash about other  trash talkers? (i.e. bashing Fox news but never actually creating your own opinion and speaking up yourself. Newsflash: this doesn't make you any better than THEM).  

Everyone has a different reason excuse. Many, including myself, are/were bullied by our parents, peers, teachers, coaches, bosses, partners, etc. and learned from them to bully ourselves and/or others. Most often we never grow out of it. We learn to think we suck, our thoughts turn to beliefs, and our beliefs we become. No one grows up unscathed, and only a few grow through their wounds and prove their bullies wrong. It's much easier to prove our bullies right. Mediocrity is a breeze. This is our challenge. 

What do you have to say? Who is your bully? Sometimes your worst enemy is yourself (also the hardest to defeat). I know personally that whatever resistance I meet externally always pales in comparison to my astounding ability to stand in my own way. So, I say this, for both you and I, 

Speak Up!

I dare you. Even if it's just a whisper at first, or only to yourself. Baby steps. Make your voice heard. Bring the mantra "I speak" to your life. Chant it over and over again. Yell into your pillow. Sing out loud in the car. Write down your ideas. Express your truth. 
And remember,

the value of one's expression is directly proportional to one's level of fear in expressing it.

In other words, the more afraid you are to say it, the more it needs to be said. 

Speak up! 

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes,
Leslie