Your experience doesn’t need to be questioned, only shared

I remember the moment before stepping onto the stage. My stomach was tense, my senses heightened. The dim lights of the venue, the quiet hum of the audience waiting for the next performer, the occasional clinking of glasses—all of it felt sharper, more vivid. My name hadn’t been called yet, but it could be at any second. And when it did, I would have to walk up there and share a piece of myself with strangers.

There was a time in my life when I wouldn’t have done this. When I would have found an excuse, a way to avoid being seen. A time when I believed my voice didn’t matter or, worse, that speaking my truth would invite rejection or judgment. But something had shifted. I wasn’t there to impress anyone. I wasn’t there to prove anything. I was there because I had something to say—something that no one else could say for me.

I stepped onto the stage, took a breath, and spoke my first words. And just like that, the fear dissolved.

The fear of being seen

So many of us grow up silencing ourselves. We hesitate to speak, not because we have nothing to say, but because we’re afraid of what will happen when we do. Maybe we were shut down as children when we expressed emotions that made others uncomfortable. Maybe we were made to feel that our thoughts, our stories, our experiences weren’t valid. Over time, we learn to question ourselves before we even open our mouths.

But the truth is this: Your experience is yours. It does not need to be questioned—it only needs to be shared.

For years, I didn’t understand this. I thought that to speak, I had to justify myself. That I had to make sure my words were acceptable, that they fit into what others deemed “worthy” of being heard. I had spent so long keeping things inside that my own emotions, my own reality, sometimes felt foreign to me.

It wasn’t until I started sharing—really sharing—that I began to feel whole again.

Owning your truth is healing

Speaking my truth that night didn’t just connect me with the audience—it connected me with myself. Every word I spoke was a bridge between the person I used to be and the person I am becoming. And as I stood on that stage, I realized something:

No one could take this from me. No one could deny my experience. Because it was mine.

So often, we seek external validation to confirm that what we feel is real. But real healing begins when we validate ourselves. When we acknowledge our emotions without needing permission to feel them. When we share our truth, not for approval, but simply because it deserves to exist outside of us.

The power of self-expression

Before that night, I thought of vulnerability as a risk. Now, I see it as a doorway. A doorway to connection, to healing, to freedom.

What I shared on that stage wasn’t just a poem—it was a piece of my soul. And when I looked out at the audience, I saw something I hadn’t expected: understanding. Some nodded. Some smiled softly. Some looked down, perhaps lost in their own reflections. It was then I realized that vulnerability is not weakness—it is a bridge. When we open up, we invite others to do the same.

You don’t have to step onto a stage to claim your voice. You don’t need an audience to make your truth valid. All you need is the willingness to honor your experience—to give it space, to speak it aloud, to let it exist.

Because it was never meant to be hidden.

Three practices to embrace your own voice

If you struggle with self-expression, here are three gentle practices to help you open up:

1. Write without judgment
   Set a timer for 10 minutes and write whatever comes to mind. Don’t edit, don’t censor—just let the words flow. This practice helps you bypass the fear of saying the “wrong” thing and allows you to hear your own thoughts more clearly.

2. Practice sharing in safe spaces
   Choose one trusted person and share something personal with them—a thought, a feeling, a story. Notice how it feels to be heard. Safe, small moments of vulnerability build confidence over time.

3. Speak your truth out loud
   Stand in front of a mirror and say something you’ve been holding inside. It could be as simple as “I’m struggling” or as powerful as “I deserve to be seen.” Hearing your own voice affirm your experience can be incredibly healing.

You deserve to be heard

That night on stage, I didn’t need anyone to validate what I was saying. The power was in the act of saying it. And that’s what I want for you, too.

Your experience is real. Your story is important. Your voice deserves to be heard—not because it needs approval, but because it belongs to you.

So share it. Speak it. Let it exist.

You’ll be amazed at how much lighter you feel when you finally set it free. I have shared more about my first experience on stage on my YouTube channel. Go watch the video ‘‘How creativity will help you lose your fear of rejection’’.

Now, should you want to give yourself the chance to share your world with someone who listens and guides you when you feel lost, I am here for you. As a trauma survivor myself and an experienced coach, I am here to help.