Using Your Voice Without Going Low

To say this year has been particularly noisy is an understatement. Every other day it feels as though the world is going crazy before our eyes, from social media to societal injustices. It can lead anyone to feel helpless and hopeless. But the quote of former first lady Michelle Obama rings in my ears, “When they go low we go high.”

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I feel as though people have looked at this quote as weak, but I believe it takes much more strength to not stoop to the depths of negativity. I believe what this quote really means is that we should channel our frustration into positive action. It doesn’t mean lie down and let people with ill will walk all over us. It means when they choose to live with hate, we choose to turn that energy into something good. We don’t make our lives better or the world around us better by perpetuating the same negative spirit that a person may direct towards us. I know that it is easier said than done, but think of it this way, when we choose to become the negativity we become the very thing we dislike about the person who directed it towards us.

I will admit we may never get through to the person that wronged us, but instead of trying to prove them wrong, use that energy to create good in the world. When you know who you are, it isn’t necessary to prove anything to anyone. Another person’s actions don’t speak to who we are but who they are. It’s all too easy to take things personal but another person’s brokenness is never about us anyway so we can’t live there. We all have a story and we all deal with the hurts and pains of that story differently. Does that give us the license to be ugly? No not at all, but those of us who choose to not allow our pains to define us can make better choices. Think about it, if we all chose to retaliate who would be left. It’s easy to point the finger when we believe that we are the victim but there is always somebody out there willing to point the finger at us as well.

With all of this in mine, we should be trying to channel our energy to change our inner selves and then the world around us, not at trying to convince others that we can be as bad as they are. Because trying to convince others will get us nowhere. I want to leave a legacy of better for those living in my wake. I choose to use my voice not to create more chaos but for good. I want my voice to inspire those around me to use their gifts and talents to help shape a different viewpoint of the world and to actually make it better. I will be honest I hesitated to write this post. I am not really into politics, I vote and do my part but all the rhetoric makes me overwhelmed. And I’m not what anyone would define as an activist but in today’s climate I think we all need hope. We all need to know that in our unique ways we can make a difference and do our part. I’m not sitting back just accepting what the world is giving. I’m pushing back with purpose as my strength. My voice matters and yours does too. My clap back will be seeing lives changed.