Sovereignty and Your Voice

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]According to dictionary.com, sovereignty can be defined as "rightful status, independence, or prerogative" as well as "the quality or state of being sovereign, or of having supreme power or authority". I had never given this word much thought until recent months when a dear friend mentioned the inherent sovereignty that girls and women carry themselves with in South Africa, a revelation to her upon visiting the country from her native Eastern USA.  She couldn't say the same for most women in our American culture.

Which gave me pause... what does it mean to feel sovereign, to carry yourself with sovereignty, and how do you get it?

I believe it means to know and believe in your inherent worth and belonging in the world.

I also believe it means to recognize that you have power over yourself and your life and that you are not a victim - not that you can control what happens on a day-to-day basis, but that you can take responsibility for your thoughts about what happens and your subsequent actions.

And I believe we can gain greater sovereignty by living in integrity.

What does this have to do with your voice?

It means believing your voice is worth being heard.

One of my favorite quotes is from choreographer and dancer Martha Graham:

"There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening, that is translated through you into action and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.  The world will not have it.  It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how valuable it is, nor how it compares with other expressions.  It's your business to keep it yours, clearly and directly, and to keep the channel open.  You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work; you have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you.  Keep the channel open."

Your voice is completely unique.  The way it sounds and the way you see the world and express yourself in it.  No matter how much you may try to imitate another or another imitates you, your voice will always be yours.  And if you do not use your voice to express the fullest and freest version of who you are, the world will forever be missing something.  YOU.

One of the tenets of Judaism, and I believe many other religions and philosophies as well, is that part of each person's purpose on this planet is to engage in tikun olam, the repairing of the world.  Most often this is interpreted as engaging in social justice and charity.  But what if on another level, this is about using your unique voice?  By exercising and expressing the full extent of yourself, you give permission to others to do the same.  When we feel free to express ourselves, there is peace.  The potential of the ripple effect to heal and repair is enormous.

Your voice is also a tool for living in integrity and taking responsibility for your life.  Your voice will let you know when something is off.  It might feel tight or restricted, overly loud or soft, halting or stuck, or otherwise not what you would like or perhaps are used to.  When these sensations occur, it's a call to pause and go inwards.

Physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually... what isn't working as well as you would like?  Where are you not expressing your truth?  Where are you out of alignment?

Sovereignty does not just belong to the females of South Africa or royalty or those who were blessed to be members of certain families.  Sovereignty is everyone's birth right.  Are you ready to claim yours?

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