The Power of Stopping to ‘Act Normal’: How to Reclaim Your Voice and Presence
The experience of hearing differently often comes with a silent pressure: the pressure to "act normal."
Have you ever found yourself nodding in a conversation you didn't fully hear, or avoiding asking questions just to not seem "difficult" or different? This is masking, a coping mechanism that Natasha Lourenço, founder of The Hearing Bridge Movement, knows well.
Natasha spent years hiding her hearing difference behind silence, until she realized: a person without self-expression is a person without personal freedom (Robin S. Sharma).
The Cost of Silence
Masking might seem like the easiest way out in the moment, but it comes at a high cost. It disconnects us:
From Ourselves: Shame and insecurity settle in, stifling authenticity.
From the Outer World: We are present but not fully connected, leading to loneliness and misunderstanding.
The Shift Happens in Unmasking
The true change, the shift, occurs when you decide to stop acting and start expressing who you are and what you need. This is the invitation of The Hearing Bridge Movement: to cross that inner bridge with confidence to transform shame into presence.
What does it mean to unmask?
Reclaim your Presence: To be in the space without excuses.
Reclaim your Voice: To communicate your needs in a natural and assertive way.
Reclaim your Identity: To understand that your difference is part of your strength.
“Your authenticity deserves space. Your story deserves to be heard.”
If you are ready to begin this journey of inner transformation, the Bridge to Self-Expression Program offers a guided path to uncover your authentic self-expression, confidence, and presence.
