Many years ago, in a newsletter series that became my 10 Good Reasons to Journal e-book, I wrote this about voice:
"Your voice is much more than what you say. It's a reflection of who you are in the world.
With your voice, you can help others understand your point of view, you can draw on personal experience to inspire action or change, you can let people know what you stand for, and you can contribute in meaningful ways to important conversations.
Your journal is an invaluable tool for exploring the fascinating, talented, multi-dimensional person you are. It's also a place to think about how you want to use your voice and what, exactly, you want to say.”
It still rings true to me today, especially the part about nurturing and developing your voice in your journal.
One perspective I didn't include way back when (here's the page!) was how you're already using your voice. So when I happened across voice in Chapter V of my dictionary, I knew I wanted to include it in today's alphabet-inspired journal page.
What counts as using your voice? I think that's open for discussion!
For my part, I prefer an expansive definition. It can include, for example, the things you say/write/teach/share/express and other ways you relate to people and the world around you, such as the people/places/things/ideas to which you devote your time, efforts, attention, resources, and/or expertise.
It can be scary to use our voices. It certainly is for me! It takes practice, I think, to express ourselves in the ways that best represent our ideas and aims. And we don't always get it right.
One thing's for sure though: there's no other voice exactly like yours. In my view, that gives you a unique opportunity to add to, even expand, the conversations that matter to you in new, unexpected, and meaningful ways.
(One little step at a time, and with the steadfast support of your journal, of course!)
If you'd like to journal the letter v with me, I'll send it to you! In the comments below, tell me one way you use your voice. Not only will you get a head start on the first prompt in this printable, but I'll also send a reply in return along with the pdf file* so you can keep journaling!
P.S. If you're new to this alphabet-inspired journal series, I'm sharing the process with you -- and these printable journal pages! -- as I go. You can find more information about pages a through u, plus some of my other page projects, here.
* The file will include two page sizes: letter and A4.