Hey Reader,

How are you?
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If you're new here, welcome to the fortnightly Journal. In this one you'll find my latest blog post, 'How to Speak Up When You’re Scared (Why It Feels So Hard + How to Find Your Voice)' - and oof, this got me right in the puddings this week.

Finding (and using) your voice is such a process, and a messy one at that. In this post, come along with me on the journey, and we'll also look at some practises to begin on this part of the path (many of these I talk about in The Voice Reclaimed).

Also if you haven't already, you can check out the new audio journey + journal, Reclaim your Wild Heart here.

In this journey, you'll meet your Wild Rose Self and see what guidance they have for you. As today for me feels like a day of 'being' more than 'doing', I'll be revisiting this myself in a little while.

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How to Speak Up When You’re Scared (Why It Feels So Hard + How to Find Your Voice)

Before We Begin – A Disclaimer

Before we wade together into this post—let me start by saying (and maybe this should be a disclaimer on every post…) that I write this NOT as another self-help ‘guru’. NOT as a patronising, “aww, are you having trouble speaking up? Let me fix that for you.”

I write this as someone who’s been walking this tightrope most of my life. And only now, I’m beginning to see what’s beyond it. Even now, I recognise the irony of writing about using your voice. Because for me, with my neurodiverse brain, writing is easier. It’s my comfort zone. Speaking? That’s where the jumble happens, the words get tangled, or—apparently—I piss someone off.

And when you’ve grown up people-pleasing, or constantly calibrating your behaviour so others think well of you, pissing someone off? That’s the worst-case scenario, right?

So maybe I’ll do a video version of this post at some point.

For now, let’s just sit here together, and look at ways to find our voices—and use them. Not haphazardly (although spoiler: that’s part of the process), but intentionally.

Using our voices from a place of sovereignty.

Why Am I So Scared Of Speaking Up?

This post has been prompted by a very human moment from my week: I had finally had enough of staying silent, sitting on the fence while there’s so much noise and bullshit flying around. Full honesty: it came out messy. Not my finest hour. But it reminded me of something crucial—half the time, we stay quiet because we are imagining worst-case scenarios: “If I speak, conflict will erupt. People will think badly of me.”

And yes, worst-case scenarios do happen. Someone did react by throwing their emotional baggage at me. Fair enough, but I didn’t take the bags.

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​Journal Prompts

This time, they tie into our theme of voice:

• When did I feel afraid to speak up this week, and what was the feeling in my body?
• What words or truths have I been holding back that want to be expressed?
• In what situations do I most shrink or soften, and what would it look like to meet them differently?

Take a moment this week to listen to your own voice, wherever it wants to lead you.

Keep listening to your wild heart,
Sarah