Written by: Jill Hollander, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Life has many twists, turns, and challenges. One of the challenges you may face is rising up and advocating for yourself by using your voice. If you are someone that struggles to find, own, and use your voice it is important to remind yourself that your voice matters because you are amazingly, wonderfully, authentically you. You are the best person to speak for yourself.
You may find yourself questioning the decision to speak up for yourself, wondering if you can say that outloud, how it will be received, and if people will understand. The truth is that we have no idea going into most situations how people will respond but nonetheless we have to begin to find, own, and use our voice, because our voices matter!
If you are wanting to begin to use your voice, start small. Practice where you are, a little bit at a time: say in the mirror, “My voice matters.” Once you begin to believe this then, you can start to practice with someone you trust by writing down what you want to say and saying it to them directly and with conviction. Start using your voice in situations that are familiar and see what happens from there.
A friendly reminder, to get your point across you want to share as much information as possible both honestly and emphatically. If you need to repeat yourself over and over again to be heard this is more than okay, especially if it means that by doing this you will get what you need, want, and desire.
What are some things you find helpful when preparing to speak up for yourself?
To find out more about how to integrate these principles into your life, contact me at jill@jillhollander.com or visit my website! Read more from Jill!
Jill Hollander, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Certified Health & Life Coach Jill Hollander helps people to FIND THEIR YES! even IN A SEA OF NOs. Through individual, group coaching, workshops, and motivational speaking, she empowers, motivates, and inspires her clients and audiences to find opportunities in their obstacles. She offers a variety of tools and strategies that foster mindset shifts, create self-advocacy, and build resiliency. Jill created her YES! Filled Life amongst extreme medical diagnoses, surgeries, and life events. Her mission is now to help others do the same. Jill has been helping others communicate and be their own advocates for 10 years after earning her Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology. Jill has been featured in Entrepreneur, American Heart Association, The Associated Press, U.S. News & World Report, and more. She is a Survivor Ambassador for The American Heart Association. Jill received the Gift of Life Pillar of Strength Award at the national Marrow Match Gala.
