We live in a critical and oftentimes violent world. People are afraid to talk about what they feel, think, or believe. They withhold energy for fear of being ridiculed, punished, or excluded. They hide their deepest dreams and desires away and cover them up with doubt, insecurity, old experiences, and fears. I know about this because it has taken me decades to step into my power and find my own voice.

When many people think of the word “voice,” they think about sound produced in a person’s larynx, uttered through the mouth in speech. Others describe it as pitch or tone produced through singing. Whatever way you describe it, the voice is about expression, communication, or a proclamation. There is no set way for a voice to be revealed. It is all about a person daring to look at life through the lens of possibility and to live fully expressed.

The voice can be personal, brought to life in community or through organizations. It can facilitate goals, establish authority, and define rules, objectives, and policies. The voice can share discontent, needs, and desires, which can create great change.

Creativity plays a central role in bringing your voice forward. Here, the forms are endless. Although you may not be conscious of it, in addition to your speaking voice, your authentic voice can also be creatively expressed through music, dance, writing, poetry, clothing, design, art (in all its forms), games, traditional media, social media, marketing, and branding.

I am living proof that anyone can move out of discord, create a powerful life, and find his or her authentic voice. Growing up I thought I was the only one that didn’t have a voice. I felt completely alone. I learned quickly that speaking up and speaking out caused pain.

My new book, “Does My Voice Matter” debuts. I am so proud of it. It is filled with my personal stories and revelations. Today I know that the more I can express, stand in my power, and bring my voice forward the better my life becomes. My intention here is to share some tools I have used and perhaps support you in revealing your authentic voice and embracing the truth that you matter.



I believe our humanitarian call is to create the invitation and wherewithal for people to heal the hurts and tear down the fences of separation. It can start as a seed within a child and blossom into the manifestation of a fulfilled life. That seed can become something powerful and amazing. The only thing required to nurture it is a fierce determination to shift the current reality and create new ways of being.

You have a calling. You are an original imprint. There is no one like you on the planet, and there is something inside of you that wants to emerge. Some call it a dream or deep desire. Whatever you call it, something wants to come through you and take form. It doesn’t have to be a huge thing. Not everyone is Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, or Martin Luther King Jr. But we are all here for a reason. The work becomes listening to that inner call, trusting it, and moving into action.

• Take a moment and recall moments when you were compelled to move or make a decision that made no sense.

• Now recall how something magical or mystical emerged or opened a doorway into possibility.

• What is calling you today? Even if you don’t know how to get there, I encourage you to speak it or write it down.