trauma silences your TRUE voice
Have you ever noticed it can be hard to use your voice when you're going through something difficult?
I have.
When facing tough circumstances, it's important to be aware of three natural responses to trauma which can impact how you use your voice:
Fight
Flight
Freeze
Here's a little example of how each can play out, depending on your unique personality...
FIGHT
If you naturally fight back when trauma occurs, you may use your voice to inflict harm you regret later. If you are using the "anger" part of your voice without including tones of love and compassion, this will only escalate trauma and create relational and internal division. A key strategy here is to humble yourself and communicate frankly once you've had time to reflect. Own only what is yours, be honest about the emotions that led you to react angrily, and seek to understand rather than win.
FLIGHT
If you tend to run from hard things, you may avoid saying what needs to be said in hopes you can escape the situation without further damage. This fosters an enabling environment and creates internal pressure that will increase the longer you pretend everything is OK. If this how you've reacted in the past, it's not too late to change. Use your voice to acknowledge what is true, get support if you need it, and resist the temptation to run away from conflict.
FREEZE
Similar to the "Flight" response, if you tend to feel paralyzed by difficult circumstances, you may stay silent, waiting for everything to settle down before you speak up about things that matter to you. If you are constantly waiting for life to calm down before you use your voice, however, you will lose a lot of precious time. Instead, be strategic about listening to your inner voice; what is it saying about you - your pain, fear, or the things you feel called to? Write down what you hear, and share it with someone else as a way of pushing yourself past the temptation to stay silent until trouble passes.
Three truths to remember when facing trauma:
Trauma is a reality of life.
Your TRUE voice matters, especially in hard times.
God is big enough to help you fight self-silencing and communicate effectively.
Putting these truths into action requires SUPPORT.
If you think you might like a little coaching around a specific situation, grab a FREE discovery call with me (button below).
In the meantime, use your voice to speak TRUTH to someone today. Even if only to yourself. :)
For TRUTH...
- Constance
