How do you Find Your Voice in such a noisy world?

It's such a noisy world, isn't it? 

More and more I find myself getting overwhelmed at the thought of everything whizzing around me. When I log on to Twitter or Pinterest, there is just so much information. It can be exhilarating but it can also be flat overwhelming. 

How can you ever hope to have a voice in a world that moves so quickly? Doesn't it sometimes feel like you're running as fast as you can but you can't catch up? 

More than ever, there are so many ways to spread the word about your work--work that matters so much to you--but then there are almost too many choices when it comes to HOW you do that. And sadly, it doesn't seem like anything is "tried and true" so there's no "best way" for any of it. 

There are just noodles against the wall. 

All my life, I've sort of strived to live according to this idea:

 

Maybe it was because I saw this at such a crucial time in my adolescence, but it's stuck with me. The whole "Find your voice and use it." 

The idea that I must seize the day. 

The idea that when I read (or hear or watch) I don't just consider what the author thinks...I consider what I think. 

Is anyone teaching that anymore? 

So often I see all the possibilities and I get it in my head that there is ONE path for me to take... but then I remember that my path doesn't look like everyone else's path. Or anyone else's path. 

It looks like mine. And mine may have a few more potholes in it than someone else's. Or, there may be patches of open road before me that make for a very smooth ride (for a time). Regardless, I have to clear away the noise and find my right path. 

That's what I'm trying to do. To spread the word about my work/books without being obnoxious. To offer something of value to everyone I come in contact with. To build up and never tear down. To approach my world with kindness. And to do it in the way that I'm meant to do it, whether that way would work for someone else or not.

Constantly, I'm asking myself What do I have to offer? And I don't always have a clear answer. Sometimes I feel like all I have to offer is a smile. Sometimes, not even that.  

You'd think it'd be a lot easier to figure this stuff out, but in the busy, loud, chaotic world we live in, finding quiet is harder than ever. 

And I am always reminding myself of the most important thing: 

Break it down to the root and stop over-thinking it. 

Or at the very least, jump up on a desk and say "Oh Captain, my Captain." 

A Question for you: How do you clear away the "extra noise" and stay focused on your own path?