Why We Deserve to Be Heard

Why We Deserve to Be Heard

A Story About Worth, Struggle, and the Right to Take Up Space

We live in a world that often tells us what we do not deserve.

We hear it whispered in the media, shouted in politics, or implied in the everyday glances of strangers. “You don’t deserve to rest until you’ve earned it.” “You don’t deserve to be happy unless you’ve achieved more.” “You don’t deserve to be heard because your voice is too small, too different, or too inconvenient.”

But what if the truth is the exact opposite? What if, before achievement, status, or perfection—simply by existing—we already deserve?

This is a story about struggle, silence, and the quiet discovery that worth is not something we must constantly prove.

The Weight of Being Told “No”

Growing up, I was taught to work hard. To carry responsibility without complaint. To believe that my voice only mattered when it had achieved something extraordinary. And so, like many, I learned the art of shrinking. I kept my opinions folded tightly inside me, as if they were dangerous letters that no one should read.

The world reinforced that lesson. Teachers would cut me off when I hesitated to answer. Friends would speak over me without noticing. Later, bosses would praise my work but remind me, “You’re not ready yet to lead. You need more experience.”

More experience. More effort. More patience. Always more, but never enough.

It was exhausting. The more I tried to “earn” my worth, the further it slipped away. Every day felt like running on a treadmill where the reward was always a few steps ahead.

A Small Turning Point

One evening, after a particularly heavy day, I sat by the window listening to the sounds of the city. My chest was tight with the weight of unspoken words. In that silence, a thought surfaced: What if I don’t need to wait for permission to matter?

It was such a simple thought, but it felt radical. I realized I had been waiting my entire life for someone else to declare me worthy. A parent, a teacher, a boss, society itself. And yet, no declaration had ever been enough.

So I whispered the words to myself: I deserve to be here. I deserve to be heard.

It wasn’t a victory shout. It wasn’t even confident. But it was a beginning.

Why We Deserve

We deserve—not because of what we have achieved, but because of who we are.

We deserve—not because perfection has been reached, but because imperfection is the human condition.

We deserve—not as a prize for performance, but as a birthright.

Think of the child who cries loudly when hungry. No one tells that child, “You must first prove yourself worthy before we feed you.” The child’s need is reason enough.

Why, then, do we forget this truth as we grow older? Why do we demand resumes, achievements, or spotless histories before granting someone the dignity of being heard, loved, or cared for?

We deserve because our humanity is enough.

The Danger of Believing Otherwise

When people are convinced they don’t deserve, the world becomes smaller, harsher. Silence grows where voices should rise. Creativity dies before it ever gets the chance to breathe.

I’ve seen talented people stay in the shadows because they didn’t believe they had the right to step forward. I’ve seen kindness withhold itself, because someone felt they didn’t deserve forgiveness. I’ve seen entire communities ignored because society decided their struggles were not “worthy enough” of attention.

This isn’t just unfair—it’s dangerous. A society that tells its people they don’t deserve is a society that suffocates its own future.

A New Way of Looking at Ourselves

So let us say it clearly:

We deserve to rest.

We deserve to speak.

We deserve to be loved.

We deserve to dream.

We deserve to try, to fail, and to try again.

Not because of perfect résumés, flawless bodies, or spotless pasts. But because we are human, and that is enough.

Every voice matters. Every life has weight. Every story, including yours and mine, deserves to be heard.

The Story We Choose

The narrative of “not enough” has been passed down for generations. But we are not required to keep carrying it.

Instead, we can tell a different story: that worth is not earned, but inherent. That our lives matter even in their messiest, most uncertain moments. That we deserve—not someday, not conditionally, but now.

This story is one I keep learning to tell myself each day. And maybe you need the reminder too.

Because no matter what you’ve been told, no matter what you fear, no matter how quiet your voice has become—let me say it clearly:

You deserve.

And that is a truth no one can take away.