To the girl who can't speak up for herself,
Despite your silence, you are speaking volumes. The aversion of your eyes, the words trembling on the tip of your tongue, the painful sigh as you once again give in to the power of your subconscious, the silence has never been more deafening.
Maybe you suppose that your opinion isn't the popular one when it comes to a topic, and you're afraid of causing controversy. Maybe you're afraid to rock the boat in a relationship--be it with a friend or a significant other--that is driven by pettiness and jealousy, and making you feel inferior for being who you are. Maybe you feel stuck between a rock and a hard place and do not want to be the one who speaks up first. Either way, you have come to the point where you've decided that what you say no longer matters. You, your ideas about the world, and your experiences, are all meaningless. The world has become a symphony of voices ringing out in the streets--a cacophony of opinions and shouts--and you feel your voice doesn't deserve to be among them.
For years, I was afraid to speak up for myself and my beliefs--or to speak to anyone at all. Like Ariel from "The Little Mermaid", my voice was taken from me at a young age by people who wanted me to feel inferior for being myself. I lived a life of contained quietness--a voluntary muteness. Every day, new thoughts and ideas passed through my mind--ideas that I hoped would change my world and the lives of others--but my conscience, weary from abuse, forbade me to speak. I was too scared of being hurt again.
It wasn't until I had grown up and grown wiser that I realized the importance of speaking up and speaking strong. The world and its history is fueled by words--a flurry of hello's and goodbyes and I love you's-- and their preciousness comes from the fact that most of them are spoken from someone's heart. Their definitions come from people who saw their importance long ago, and these definitions mean something different to everyone.
The paths of our lives are fueled by the words we use every day. If you take our selves--our eyes, ears, arms, legs, hopes, dreams, and experiences--but leave out our words and voices-- you will never get an answer equal to who we are as people. You will never get a sense of who a person is and what they stand for, and you will never truly get to love someone when you haven't the courage to tell them just how important they are to the world.
As hard as it may be at this moment, please never figure that your voice means nothing. Some people may treat you as though it doesn't matter--that you yourself don't matter--and say so to you, but these words spawn from hate and jealousy, not heart. Find the people who love to hear the crystal clear sound of your voice when your spirit ignites with passion and excitement, and never let them go. More importantly, tell them how much they mean to you. With their love and guidance, go out into the world with your hopes, dreams, and aspirations resting on the tip of your tongue, and let them fly. Have the courage to know that what you want your world to become is awaiting your words to come forward and become your reality. So take a deep breath, take it all in, and say what you so desperately need to say. Finally fill the silence.
