Life Lessons │Communication
A Voice That Makes a Difference
Raise your hand and share your unique perspective in 2024
What unique perspective can your voice add to a conversation that impacts the lives of others? Can your voice make a difference? Then, raise your hand.
Quietly sitting in the third seat and first row of my Home Economics Adult Responsibility class, she slowly raised her hand. Her head down and eyes slightly looking up toward me.
I pointed to her, “Yes Antoinette,” I said.
That day, a student who never spoke a word to anyone in class, a student who I saw walk the halls with her books clutched to her chest and head down, a student whose intelligence was beyond her 16 years on the planet, raised her hand and raised her voice.
Antoinette raised her voiced and captivated a room of twenty-seven fellow eleventh graders and one young new teacher as she made a correlation between household management and the free enterprise system.
I smiled proudly as she made correlations between the two, ranging from resource allocation to decision-making, roles, and responsibility, to long-term planning, she eloquently explained her point of view with voice shaking.
But as she continued to speak, her voice grew stronger, the shaking and trembling stopped, her shoulder squared, and her eyes moved from me to other students in class.
I marveled as she smiled and gestured from her seat, her points clear and concise, and you could hear her passion for the subject through the inflections in her voice.
Today, we would say she’s “TED talk ready.”
She even held the attention of Roderick, a notorious class clown who made it his daily mission to disturb the first and the last five minutes of class.
Once Antoinette finished sharing her thoughts, Roderick raised his hand. Before I could give him permission to speak, he blurted, “So this means my mom runs two businesses. She runs her salon and our house because every time I ask my dad for something he says, ‘Go ask your Mama’.”
We all chuckled. I looked across the classroom and saw students nodding their heads signifying they shared the same experience.
Antoinette had sparked a conversation that reached beyond the Home Economics class.
Later that week, Roderick would ask me if I could help him write a letter to his mother thanking her for all she does.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s the power of using your voice.” — Michelle Obama
Your Voice Has Power
When I think about the importance of using your voice, I remember the quiet brilliance of Antoinette. Without shouting or protesting to the top of her lungs (and there are times when it’s necessary to shout) her words impacted her classmates in ways that even I, the teacher, could not.
Yes, certainly, most of us have heard and perhaps repeated, “Your voice has power.” It suggests that your words and expressions have an impact and influence on the world around you. Using your voice means speaking up, sharing your thoughts, ideas, and life experiences.
Raise Your hand
Raising your hand isn’t always about asking for permission to speak. You can raise your hand as a writer, artist, or a community organizer. Accordingly, when you raise your hand you’re signaling your presence and readiness to contribute.
It’s a gesture that goes beyond seeking permission — it’s a declaration of your intention to actively participate, share your ideas, or lend your skills to the collective effort.
Raising your hand symbolizes a willingness to engage, collaborate, and make a meaningful impact, whether it’s through words, art, or community initiatives. It’s a powerful expression of your desire to be seen and heard, and to play a role in shaping the narrative or outcome.
At times your voice will tremble
Yes, in the beginning your voice may tremble, but like a muscle, your voice grows stronger with use.
And it’s true, as you continue to express yourself, you gain confidence. This newfound confidence will help you:
- articulate your thoughts more clearly,
- advocate for your beliefs passionately,
- and actively participate in meaningful conversations.
Whether through spoken words, written expression, or any other form of communication, your voice becomes a tool for making a difference. It allows you to connect with others, share your perspective, and contribute to the collective understanding.
The more you exercise your voice, the more impact you can have on shaping cultural and societal narratives, fostering empathy, and inspiring positive change.
And that’s real influence.
And How Do You Use “Real” Influence To Make a Difference?
Making a difference is often seen as changing the world. And yet it isn’t always so drastic. You don’t always have to change the world to make a difference. You can use your voice to make a difference by:
- Having the courage to say something different.
- Making an impact on perceptions with your unique perspective.
- Reaching beyond your immediate circle or community with your unique perspective.
Often, saying something different and authentic with your voice can be more relatable than saying what’s popular.
Nowadays, there are so many conversations happening in so many spaces but when you lend your ear to a meaningful topic, everyone is repeating the same buzz words and phrases. The popular opinion made by the most popular influencers are repeated as fact.
Even people with large platforms of their own are repeating what seems to be the popular thing to say without any research ensuing the spread of misinformation and disinformation.
If you parrot what everyone else says because you’re scared to say something different, then what you say won’t make a difference.
The impact happens and we can make a difference when we can bring facts to the conversation or discussion with a unique perspective about the facts. In this way, we can separate fact from opinion but still have diverse dialogue that can make a difference.
Friends, you can speak your truth, but don’t omit the facts.
Your unique perspective makes the impact.
And yes, you can make an impact on perception with your unique perspective. Your unique perspective is shaped by your experiences, values, and individuality. When you share this perspective, you bring something different to the table while challenging and enriching the collective consciousness.
By lifting your voice and offering your unique viewpoint, you contribute to a more diverse and nuanced conversation. People may gain insights they hadn’t considered before; thus, your unique perspective becomes a valuable asset.
With this asset, you can break stereotypes and spark new ways of thinking. It’s through the exchange of diverse perspectives we can better understand one another.
Reverberation — using your voice to reach others
One of the many things I learned in the field of communications is when you speak or express yourself effectively, your message doesn’t just end with the immediate moment.
Oh, no, your message continues to resonate and reverberate in the minds and hearts of those who hear it.
Like a ripple in a pond, the initial splash represents your immediate communication, but the reverberations symbolize the lasting effects. The more powerful and authentic your voice, the stronger these reverberations. Your words can linger, provoke thought, inspire reflection, influence perspectives, and even motivate action.
Whether through spoken words, written communication, or any other form of expression, the reverberation of your voice can contribute to a meaningful and enduring dialogue.
So, Fam, I’m curious. How do you plan to raise your voice in 2024? Do you have a unique perspective you’d like to share with others?
Please share your thoughts in the comments.
