10/31/2024
I have always had a burning desire to use my voice for impact.
When I was in high school I wanted to be an MTV VJ.
I used to love listening to radio shows growing up and then I interned for a local radio station in high school.
I went on to become a broadcast journalism major with a speech communications minor.
I always knew I was here to share big ideas and my personality in a way to connect, engage and create a positive impact.
But throughout my life, I struggled to use my voice.
If I was at a dinner party, even with friends and people I knew loved me, and someone asked me a question at the table,
I would struggle to get my thoughts and message out with all those eyes on me.
If I was one on one with you, I could communicate and even then, in a very long winded, rambly manner,
but groups and 'presentations' would cause me to shut down.
I had received consistent and deep messaging growing up from my father that I was an idiot, I didn't know what I was talking about, I talked too much, I took too long to make my point and
a lot of messaging around my thoughts, feelings and message not being important enough to be shared.
◾️I learned that when I speak, I am shut down.
◾️I learned when I speak, I feel belittled and shame.
◾️I learned, I don't receive love, safety and belonging when I speak.
◾️I learned, my thoughts and feelings annoy people.
◾️I learned, my voice is an inconvenience to others.
My throat chakra became so blocked.
To the point where when I would get really stressed or upset, I would literally feel it close and be unable to speak, literally.
The contraction was real.
The trauma ran deep.
Over the years I have built so much awareness around this and have done SO much work on it and healed SO much of it
AND
I was still able to observe how the depth of the wound was still playing out in my behaviors, or lack there of.
When my first business, my retail store closed in 2012,
✨I felt compelled to start a podcast to share my story and all the lessons and wisdom I had learned in an effort to support, inspire and help others on the path.
When I was on my path there were no resources or anyone to gain the insight I needed and desired and I knew it would be helpful.
✨And as I navigated my health and life breakdown and through my healing journey, I had a deep desire to start the podcast to share all of my lessons and learnings that I wish I knew sooner.
The desire has been so big and so electric and unwavering... but for 12 years, I just wasn't able to, just couldn't, do it. 😞
I was given big media opportunities, such as being on the Tamron Hall show and having a car service sent to me and I turned it down.
I would literally freeze and shut down
OR
I would come up with excuse after excuse after excuse and really believe them
So this time,
when CBS contacted me to feature our family in a Diwali segment on how we celebrate Diwali as an interfaith family, I said YES.
I am extremely passionate about sharing my story around why I feel it's so vital for my children to be rooted in their Indian Heritage and I am in love with our culure and feel it needs more awareness and representation so that was a big driver in my Yes.
But I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel myself back pedaling and trying to squirrel my way out any time I got, even after I committed. 😅
I def reached out to the producer and tried to post pone due to sick kids or delayed outfit deliveries 😬
But I refused to allow myself to.
😫Despite me feeling super wobbly, ill prepared, not having the right outfit, my kids being sick and feeling really fearful
👉🏻I knew that following through
that leaning into the edge of the thing that I know I am here for even if I'm shaking inside
that doing the damn thing even if imperfect was going to help me finally break through the block
and help me build evidence in my body that it IS safe to use my voice for impact and to take up space
I knew that through the process I would learn and grow and that through the courage is the healing and expansion I'm seeking
So, I did the damn thing
And my family was featured on CBS for the Diwali segment
And while
there were SO many things I wanted to say that I didn't
So many things I fumbled through and didn't articulate well
So many things I could have done to have myself and my family show up and portray a more impactful presentation of how we celebrate
At the end of the day,
I am SO grateful, well, - one for the incredible producers who were able to edit the s**t out of it to make it a good segment lol
but two, for the learning and healing process it gave me
It was my first time on national television and
now I have that experience and evidence to rely on in my mind and body that
👏People desire to hear your voice and when you use it, nothing bad happens
👏and in fact, it's needed and people liked it 😳
❤️🔥What an expansion
I hope this message serves as a reminder to you
that if you have a fire in your belly to do something
but you're feeling blocked
you're here to follow it!
and also, there is likely some deep trauma associated with it
what do you do?
well, in my FREE Align and Thrive Workbook,
I walk you through the 5 steps to take to heal your trauma.
Grab the link in the comments below
Oh, here's the segment :)
The Indian Festival of Lights is now celebrated at the White House and in schools across 26 states. Shanelle Kaul shows how a new generation of South Asian A...