Sometimes I joke that everything I have learned about life I learned from singing.

But it’s so true!

It has been quite the journey, though. Sometimes it was pretty tricky, sticky, and ugly. But then also wildly illuminating, crack-you-open joyful, and triumphant. 

The lessons I learned include how I do my work in the world, what I am here to share, and how I love and value my voice—and myself—at all costs.

I had to let go of needing my voice to be something I thought it should be. I had to let go of a career trajectory that I thought was what you’re supposed to do. I had to let go of fear of the unknown. I had to let go of control. I had to let go of unworthiness. I had to let go of fear and trauma that were obscuring my future.

I thought that my voice was supposed to sound great, be likable, and get me somewhere. No errors, no weaknesses, no troubles. I thought that all I had to do was be as technically proficient as possible so that I would be safe. 

But you know what? None of that matters nearly as much as my true life lessons. My real “voice lesson” has been about cultivating love, trust, and wisdom, and creating a sacred and wholehearted life. And my actual voice?

It is more brilliant than I could ever have imagined possible.

Dear One, I want to invite you to see past the surface for a sec. What has been your experience? What have you known?

Your experiences and circumstances are utterly unique. But I also know (because you are human) that there are places in your relationship with your voice that keep you locked up.

They are sticky spots around your singing, or your musical or creative life, that fall under the category of either “things to fix” or “I am broken forever.”

But in my experience, these are the signposts that, if you are willing, lead to sacred illumination and the unfoldment of your genius, purpose, and true joy.

It does not matter how old you are, how small you seem, or how scared you feel.

It takes courage to look inward. It requires a willingness to grow and to stoke the inner fire of your heart. And it takes quiet to listen, observe, and respond.

If you can muster the chutzpah to look deeper, your voice will reflect your most important life lessons. And (God willing!) help you realize that those lessons will illuminate the core truths of your life, and the purpose of your voice in the world.

No joke.

So what does your voice have to teach you today?

Prompts for Voice Wisdom

Take a moment to breathe, center awareness within the heart space, and enter into a state of stillness.  Allow these questions to guide your higher mind into clarity.

What do you believe that is holding you back around your voice?

What experiences have shaped you?

What is your headspace about your voice?

What is your spirit longing to bring forward?

What is the higher truth that you are meant to know?

A Prayer for Your Voice

Dear God,
Thank you for my voice.
Thank you for all that I am, all that I have learned, and all that I have been.
Guide me now into true wisdom, and the purpose and place for my voice.
Illuminate the inner places where I have grown small.
Grant me courage to break through the false ceiling of limitation, so that I may rise into the fullest potential of my voice.
Give me strength to look inwardly, so that I may know and understand the lessons of my experience. 
Grant me wisdom to know that my experience is the key to my healing, my purpose, and my ultimate joy.
May I raise my voice without censor, without shame, and without hesitation.
May I join my voice with the heavenly chorus who praise You in sacred harmony.
May my voice be blessed, may it be loved, may it be shared in safety.
Thank you, dear God, for my voice. 
And so it is. Amen.

Allison