Picking Things Back Up Part 2

[00:00:15.87]Hey, welcome back.
[00:00:19.87]After heartbreak, after failure,
[00:00:23.87]and we weren’t quiet,
[00:00:26.88]today, we pick up your voice.
[00:00:30.88]So, welcome back to Rooted&Real,
[00:00:32.87]and this is your pal, Lynda.
[00:00:36.87]So, you stopped saying no.
[00:00:38.87]You stopped saying what you wanted.
[00:00:41.87]You stopped saying, “That hurt me.”
[00:00:44.87]You stopped saying, “That wasn’t nice.”
[00:00:48.87]You stopped saying, “Let’s talk.”
[00:00:51.87]So, you made yourself small,
[00:00:53.87]to just keep the peace.
[00:00:55.87]But, you see, what you don’t realize,
[00:00:57.87]that wasn’t peace.
[00:01:00.88]That was silence.
[00:01:04.86]And silence became a cage.
[00:01:08.86]‘Umefungiwa’ (You’re trapped), ‘umejifungia’ (You’ve trapped yourself).
[00:01:11.87]You’ve got to start small.
[00:01:14.87]Say no, to even that small thing.
[00:01:19.87]Say, I like this, but you say it out loud.
[00:01:23.87]Your voice is a muscle.
[00:01:27.87]Train it.
[00:01:29.87]Write it before you speak it.
[00:01:33.87]That is, if you’ve been quiet for too long,
[00:01:35.88]if you’ve been silent for too long,
[00:01:37.87]write it before you speak it.
[00:01:39.88]Journals say a lot.
[00:01:43.88]They say words you’re scared to say.
[00:01:47.86]And you know, people won’t interrupt you.
[00:01:51.86]Your voice does not need permission.
[00:01:55.87]You don’t need people to understand,
[00:01:58.87]for your truth to be valid.
[00:02:02.87]‘Sawa’ (Okay)?
[00:02:03.87]You are allowed to take up space
[00:02:05.88]with your words again,
[00:02:06.87]so you better do it.
[00:02:08.87]Clear your throat. (Clears throat)
[00:02:10.87]Like that.
[00:02:12.87]Speak.
[00:02:14.78]Even if it shakes.
[00:02:17.86]The world needs the version of you
[00:02:20.87]that talks back to pain.
[00:02:24.87]So you know what?
[00:02:26.88]Pick up your voice.