3 Ways to Get Your Voice Heard Fear silences many a would-be writer. Here's how to get out of your own way.
By Joshua Lee Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Once you find your voice in your writing it can be intimidating to actually put your thoughts out there in the public eye on the internet. There is the possibility of judgement and scrutiny, and, let's be honest, there are a lot of haters out there.
Related: 5 Tactics to Master the Haters
Remember this: For every hater, there is someone else who will connect with your message, and it could possibly change their life. Isn't that worth it?
Duty versus fear.
When you find your voice, it is your responsibility and your duty to use it. When you are having a mental battle whether to publish a certain blog post, email or article, many fears may arise.
Questions may plague your mind: Should I publish what I really think? Will my thoughts or message rub some people the wrong way? Is everyone going to think I'm sitting on my high horse preaching to them?
Well, guess what? That is exactly how some people are going to think of you. But, there will be people who will think your message is amazing. You have two choices. You can either let the fear stop you. Or, you can do it anyway.
Related: How to Never Let Fear Hold You Back Again
Here are three steps to getting over your fear of putting your message out there once you have found your true voice.
Have confidence in yourself.
If you doubt yourself, then why should anyone else have confidence in what you have to say? It is important to know you are unshakeable in what you have to share. This will help you remain unaffected by the fear surrounding putting your authentic voice in front of everyone to see.
If you are feeling insecure and constantly questioning the validity of your message, then it will probably never get spread to your target audience. Spreading your message will be a process of trial and error, at first, before you hone in on your exact target audience.
This will test your grit. Self-confidence is necessary. Dig deep. Your true self is waiting inside.
Respect fear.
When you respect your fear you are recognizing that fear is a factor in your decision-making process about putting your message out there. As I said previously, you have two choices.
There are those who let fear paralyze them and use it as a reason why they cannot take action. Then there are those who recognize they have the fear and act in spite of it.
Just remember this. Fear is not, I repeat, not real. It only exists in your mind. It is merely a cluster of negative thoughts of future events, which by definition have not even occurred yet and therefore aren't real.
As the old saying goes, You don't know until you try. So remember to take action despite what you think can go wrong. A lot more could go right.
Take action.
There needs to be less time between you having a thought and your taking action. Obviously, don't act on every single thought or idea you have, but if there is one that keeps coming up over and over again, that's the one you need to listen to.
Don't hesitate. Think less. Act more. The ability to take quick action will bring you more success than over analyzing and trying to make everything perfect before you act. Nothing will be perfect the first time around. A process of trial and error is necessary.
Related: How to Act Self-Confident
Once you find your voice, take the action and use it. Anyone can write great articles that have authenticity. But most folks are scared to put them out there for everyone to see. So they confine their thoughts to a Facebook post among friends or to a small blog.
Don't be afraid to make your thoughts public. Be bold. Find your voice, stare fear in the eye, and make yourself heard.
