You have a Voice, Use it
“If you are going to have a voice, you better be careful what that voice says. A voice is a powerful thing. It can shine a light on something that is hiding in the dark. It can change the way people think which can change the way people act. But it can’t do anything if you keep your mouth shut.”- Mrs Maisel, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Hii.
How is life lifeing?
Happy Weekend. Ensure you take a moment to yourself for yourself. A time where you pour into yourself and that could be by relaxing, seeing a movie, reading a book, taking a walk or whatever you know will make you feel relaxed 😌.
So, I have been watching a series titled, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. It is a movie set in the 1950s and 1960s about a young woman starting a career in stand-up comedy. The interesting thing about the main character of the show, Miriam “Midge” Maisel is her passion and desire to have it all in her career, but of course there’s the rollercoaster of having to explain it over and over to her family what her career entails and a whole series of ups and down finding her path as a woman in a male dominated field. While I am enjoying the movie, I have also picked up some gems and I would recommend you see it. The most important one I picked up is the quote at the beginning, about having a voice and what you say with the voice.
I think back then to where the movie was set in, it was not as easy to have a voice, especially as a woman. But things have changed, technology being the biggest enabler of any individual around the globe to have a voice and that is what has led me to write about it.
What does having a voice mean to you?
I think having a voice is important, and this doesn’t necessarily mean being able to literally speak with your mouth because there are differently enabled people who do not have the ability to literally speak but they still have a voice. For me, having a voice means having a stand, an opinion on several issues, could range from societal to cultural to religious to political and the list goes on and on.
I think having a voice is important, but I think using the voice positively is more important. I am highly opinionated and a lot of times, I tend to voice my opinions. Having a voice for me is believing in my opinions and standing my ground on them, especially when I am sure the opinion is right or a better option or can cause change in a positive light.
I understand that a lot of people tend to shy away from being opinionated and I completely understand that because a lot of times, it leads to arguments with other people, or people just tend to look at you as arrogant or stubborn or in adjectives that may not be pleasant to describe a person. But being opinionated for me also means I am extremely passionate about my beliefs, it means I am willing to live on the hill of some of my beliefs. It means I refuse to be shaked, I remain unchanged about my beliefs about certain things in life and I love it that way.
Having a voice could be good or could be bad. Once again, it is what you say with the voice and how you use it that determines if it is good or bad. I would love to say everyone has a voice, but on a deeper thought, I think there are places in the world that I am not aware of that are not aware of technology, and being able to speak up and have beliefs, so instead I’ll say, most percentage of the world population have a voice, either through the use of technology or around you. But with the use of technology, it has made it so much easier to have a thought which forms a belief and putting it out there can influence other people in their thinking which can cause a change in the actions of others.
What does your voice say?
At times when I see somethings on social media, especially Twitter, I wonder if people put any though towards their tweets, or if a lot of people actually believe in what they put out or if they just put out things that will get them likes or make them viral as that seems to be more important to so many people.
I understand that maybe you are an influencer, you do it for click baits, you do it for sponsorships and views and unfortunately, it is what sells, it is what gathers more views. But at the end of the day, the tool used is your voice. If you are going to have a voice, be very careful what your says, it can influence people with or without your permission. You never know where your voice will get to.
I need to also emphasize the fact that you do not always need to have a voice on every issue brought to you, there’s something like saying I don’t have an opinion or I have nothing to say about this issue, and this is easy to say once realize how powerful your voice is.
https://x.com/opeoluwa_olowe/status/1771981644066435097?s=46&t=LO7Qvsy7zuokNKivlc-6qg
You can change what you voice says
You can decide to change your mind after learning more on issues, and change what your voice says. We as humans should be constantly learning and that influences what our voices say, so yes, you are allowed to change what your voice says.
On the note of having a voice, our newsletter is Two today 🎉 🥳 🎉 . This has been a major avenue in which I make use of my voice and while that is really amazing, I still get stunned by the fact that I have been doing this continuously for the past two years, so I guess it is true what they say, that when you make your hobby your job, you have fun at it. This had to become a job for me so I could be more consistent and get better at it. I have to say THANK YOU to you, for your constant support. I still find it crazy the amount of people that open emails or Substack to read my thoughts and what I have to say to the world weekly. Thank you🙏. I do not take it for granted. To those that constantly reply, comment, and send me private emails, thank you, it really means a lot to me. On that note, Happy Two Years Anniversary to all of us💜.
As you go on using your voice on different platforms, ways and on different issues, I’ll be rooting for you and for me, that our voices causes change positively , that our voices become a catalyst for a better society and a better world at large because we are all connected 💜✨.
Current read: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (This book influenced this newsletter). Occasionally, I read books that I consider ‘delicious’ and this is one of it. To explain how rare it is, the last time I read a book this delicious was in 2021 and that was, Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi . Lessons in Chemistry is such a beautiful book, so well written. I must clap for Bonnie Garmus, especially because it is her debut novel. This book focuses on powerful themes such as misogyny, feminism, family, self-worth, identity, friendship, and love. It is about Elizabeth Zott, a chemist and a great cook who decide to stand firm in her beliefs against all odds, trying to break into a male dominated field. This book will make you wonder about all the real-life women born ahead of their time, women who were sidelined, ignored and worse because they weren’t as resourceful, determined, and lucky as Elizabeth Zott. She is a reminder of how far we have come, but also how far we still have to go. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I don’t usually say any book is a must read because of how subjective art is and there are different strokes for different folk, but I have to say that this book, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus is a must read. You just have to read it. You have to. You are welcome. Apparently, there is also a series based off the book on Apple TV and I heard they did an amazing work with it, so enjoy.