About this quote

The line nails the odd panic of finally speaking after long silence. Your own voice can feel foreign because it has not been used, not because it lacks truth. Try a concrete step: speak one small thing aloud to yourself or write it on paper and read it back. Expect awkwardness; that awkwardness is part of reclaiming the words and it will lessen with practice.

When to use it

• At my annual performance review, I finally told my manager I was burned out, and my first sentences felt rusty and ridiculous — that moment made me think of this line.
• After my mother's funeral, I tried to tell my sister how guilty I felt for not visiting more and the words came out weak; I kept this quote in mind when I practiced saying it again.
• In my first therapy session I could barely explain the panic attacks I've hidden; remembering the image helped me be patient with how the words sounded.
• When I told my partner about something from my past, I stopped mid-sentence because the confession felt ugly and foreign, and the line helped me accept that awkward start.