Rediscovering Your Voice After Years Of Being Silenced.

You know that feeling when you’re sitting in a crowded room, and you want to say something—anything—but the words just won’t come out? That was me for a long time. Not just in a room full of people but in life. Growing up, I wasn’t exactly "encouraged" to speak up. It wasn’t that I had nothing to say—it was just that I learned early on that no one wanted to hear it.

I’m not going to get all dramatic here, but you know the drill: teachers, family, maybe even friends who talked over you, dismissed you, or worse, made you feel like your thoughts didn’t matter. So, eventually, you stop sharing them. It’s easier that way, right?

Fast forward to adulthood—here I am, minding my own business, living life on autopilot. But every now and then, I’d feel it: this low hum of frustration, like there was something more I should be doing, something more I should be saying. It’s hard to explain, but it was like I had spent years whispering inside my own head and was getting tired of the echo.

Rediscovering your voice as an adult is wild. It’s awkward and exciting and kind of terrifying all at once. At first, you’re just dipping your toes in the water, testing it out, seeing if it’s safe to speak up again. Sometimes, it feels like you’re learning to talk all over again.

And guess what? It’s messy. You’ll say the wrong thing or stumble over your words. You’ll wonder if you’re making sense or if anyone’s even listening. But here’s the magic: the more you do it, the more comfortable it feels. You start to remember what it was like before the world told you to quiet down.

I wish I could say there was this one defining moment when I suddenly found my voice and was like, "Yes, I am heard!" But no, it’s a process. It’s baby steps. Maybe one day, you finally say, “No, I don’t actually agree with that.” Or maybe it’s as simple as sharing an opinion in a group chat. It’s these tiny wins that add up.

And let me tell you, it’s empowering as hell when you realise that your voice has value. That your ideas, opinions, jokes—yes, even the bad ones—are worth hearing. And sure, not everyone is going to hang on your every word (we’re not here for that anyway), but it’s about you showing up for yourself. Every time you speak up, you’re honouring that younger version of you who stayed quiet because they thought they had to.

I think that’s what makes rediscovering your voice so special. It’s like taking a piece of yourself back, one word at a time. So yeah, it’s going to be clumsy and weird at first, but that’s part of the beauty of it.

Just keep talking. Even if your voice shakes. Even if you stumble. You’ll get there, and before you know it, you’ll be wondering why you ever stayed quiet for so long.