Learning to find your hidden voice and speak your truth can be trial and error. It takes strength, knowledge of the self, and the courage to shine, but once you master it – you will grow with every vowel and syllable. Here are the ways in which you can tap into your intuition and learn to start speaking your truth.

Connect With Your Intuition

To express our truth, it is essential to first connect with it, and this often lies within our intuition. Intuition is a natural ability, similar to a muscle that strengthens with use. Learning to connect with your intuition involves connecting your mind with your body. Your body will signal you if a decision feels uncomfortable or incorrect. Your body always reveals the truth, but it is up to you to connect and listen to it.

Practice Trusting Your Voice

As previously mentioned, developing trust in your own voice requires practice. It's unrealistic to expect to become an expert truth-teller overnight. Begin by starting small and gradually build confidence and power in trusting your voice. Whether it's expressing a simple "no" to a plan or a resounding "yes" to something, or making a decision about where to eat, learning to trust your voice is about embracing bravery and speaking up.

It Doesn’t Need to be Vocal

During the process of learning to speak your truth, it's not always necessary to express it verbally. Your truth can manifest in various ways, and simply acknowledging it is enough. You can communicate your truth through journaling or private writing sessions, through engaging in activities like yoga and meditation, or through any form of artistic expression or spiritual prayer.

Get Support

Support is crucial on our life journeys, especially when it comes to finding the inner strength to speak our truth. It's important to surround ourselves with a caring and trustworthy advocate who can help us find the courage to use our voice. While it's beneficial to have support from a therapist, mentor, or spiritual guide, it's preferable if this person isn't a romantic partner. They can provide guidance, hold space for us, and encourage us to step into our authentic selves.

Check-in With Yourself

Incorporate a daily practice of self-check-ins to stay connected with yourself. As you wake up and before you go to sleep, take a few moments to scan your body and observe your feelings. Are there any areas of tightness or internal unease? Do you experience any pain, anxiety, or a sense of love and lightness? Checking in with yourself serves as a reminder to honor your body and explore the truths it may be trying to communicate.

Let Go Of Pretension

In various ways, we often reject our own truth and pretend to be something we're not on a daily basis, for various reasons. Each time we do this, we distance ourselves from our true, authentic selves. The next time someone discusses a topic you're unfamiliar with, don't hesitate to admit that you don't know or understand, even if it's as trivial as not having watched a show on Netflix. By incorporating more honesty into your everyday conversations, the transition to speaking your truth and embracing authenticity won't feel like an insurmountable gap.

Let Go Of Labels

Discovering our own truth can be challenging when it is obscured by the layers of stories and labels imposed upon us by others, as well as by ourselves. When we cling to these labels—such as being the "happy one," the "anxious one," or the "calm one"—we restrict the space for our genuine emotions to emerge. As human beings, we are multidimensional, complex, and beautifully imperfect, experiencing a wide range of emotions. Grant yourself permission to let go of these labels and genuinely acknowledge how you truly feel. Embrace the messiness and glory of your authentic emotions without constraining them to predefined categories.

Take the Pressure Off

Recognizing something as your truth doesn't always require immediate action. Many of us hesitate to embrace our deepest truths because we believe it obligates us to make instant decisions or drastically change our lives. However, acknowledging your truth while understanding that you don't have to act on it immediately can alleviate pressure and foster a more organic relationship between you and your inner voice. Allowing yourself the time and space to navigate your truth at your own pace can lead to a more balanced and authentic path forward.

Remember, finding and speaking your truth is a personal and ongoing process. Be patient with yourself, practice self-compassion, and celebrate each step forward along your journey.