Your Inner Voice Matters More Than You Think

(air whooshing) (mouse clicking) (uplifting music) Headspace Studio. (serene music) (waves crashing) Hey, welcome to "Radio Headspace." It's Dora. I was rewatching an episode of "Insecure," Issa Rae's brilliant series. And there's this moment in season one episode three where Molly is at a work event surrounded by partners trying to fit in. She laughs at a joke that isn't funny, sips her drink even though she doesn't want to, and smiles when she's uncomfortable. And you can feel it. She's disconnected from herself. Later, she confesses how exhausting it is to perform all the time. And that hit me, because we've all done that. Shrunk a little, performed a little, forgotten what our authentic voice sounds like. Now, alignment is the practice of coming home to ourselves, of living in accordance with our own truth, even when it's uncomfortable. And this reminds me of a zen story called the bird with the broken wing. So, a bird with an injured wing is cared for by a wise monk who doesn't try to make it fly too soon. Over time, the bird learns to move again, not because it was forced, but because it was trusted to heal in its own time. The bird flies when it's ready and not when others say it should. When I think of alignment, I think of that bird, and I think of all the times I've rushed myself to meet someone else's timeline. Alignment isn't about proving anything, it's about living from the inside out. It's asking, "What's true for me right now?" And honoring that, even if it means moving more slowly, even if it means saying no when everyone expects a yes. We're taught to override ourselves to meet deadlines, expectations, cultural norms. But alignment is sacred. It doesn't have to be justified or explained. You don't owe anyone an immediate yes or a polished answer. You only owe yourself the truth, and that truth might evolve. You may find yourself changing direction, and that's okay. Alignment gives you permission to shift, to respond to the present moment rather than stay stuck in a version of you that no longer fits. So, for today, ask yourself gently, "Where in my life have I been neglecting my own voice?" "What would it feel like to pause and truly listen?" And not to what others want from you, but to what you need from you. You deserve to move at your own pace, and you deserve to live a life shaped not by performance, but by presence. So honor your alignment, that sense of inner freedom. Let your choices be rooted in truth and not performance. (waves crashing) I'll leave it here for today. Thank you for tuning in, and see you tomorrow. (upbeat music)...