Speaking your truth
“Once you start to speak, people will yell at you….
or put you down and suggest it’s personal.
And the world won’t end.
And the speaking will get easier and easier.
And you will lose some friends and lovers,
and realize you don’t miss them.
And new ones will find you and cherish you.
And at last you’ll know with surprising certainty
that only one thing is more frightening
than speaking your truth.
or put you down and suggest it’s personal.
And the world won’t end.
And the speaking will get easier and easier.
And you will lose some friends and lovers,
and realize you don’t miss them.
And new ones will find you and cherish you.
And at last you’ll know with surprising certainty
that only one thing is more frightening
than speaking your truth.
And that is not speaking.”
~ Audre Lorde
Cindy La Ferle
Throughout my career, I've worked as a book production editor, travel magazine editor, features writer, and weekly newspaper columnist. My award-winning lifestyles features and essays have appeared in many national magazines and anthologies, including Newsweek, Reader's Digest, The Christian Science Monitor, Writer's Digest, Victoria, Better Homes & Gardens, Bella Grace, and more. My weekly Sunday "Life Lines" column ran for 14 years in The Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, MI) and won a First Place (Local Columns) award from the Michigan Press Association. My essay collection, Writing Home, includes 93 previously published columns and essays focusing on parenthood and family life.
5 Comments
Sharon
Yes. I didn't know what was coming 32 years ago when my counselor told me that I was okay the way I was and I started to sob. No one had ever told me that. I started to learn to speak that day, and it's a process that hasn't stopped. I still get in "trouble" with family, and friends, and at work, but that's okay because the world hasn't ended yet;)
Things that make me happy
What a beautiful comment, Sharon. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Things that make me happy
P.S. Sharon, I often learn who my friends really are, or I suddenly see how deep the relationship can go when I speak my truth. I grow closest to those with whom I can share my truth.
Sharon
Cindy, your entries here are a gift. Thank you so much for your thoughts, photos, and quotes. I find such peace here.
Things that make me happy
Thank you so much, Sharon. I really appreciate that!