I’ll be upfront with you. This is a very sensitive topic for me and I struggled with the decision to write publicly about this. But then I realised that there are so many people who are losing or have lost their authenticity and voice, all because they were dismissed or deemed irrelevant.
There’s a quiet kind of harm that often goes unnoticed. It doesn’t come with raised voices or overt aggression. Instead, it’s subtle. It shows up in the workplace meeting where your ideas are dismissed or conveniently rephrased by someone else. It’s present at the family gathering where you’re talked over, or in the friendships where your needs are always placed last. This is what forced invisibility looks like. And make no mistake, it’s not harmless. It’s a form of bullying.
We often romanticise silence. We treat it as a symbol of strength, wisdom, or peace. But not all silence is chosen or voluntary. Sometimes silence is imposed. It’s what happens when your voice is bypassed, your contributions ignored, or your presence treated as optional. This kind of silence is erasure. And the message it sends is sharp and damaging: “You don’t matter here.”
But you do. You always have.
In the workplace, invisibility often disguises itself as professionalism. You may be told to “stay in your lane,” encouraged to listen rather than speak, or praised for your quiet strength while your input is systematically sidelined. Sometimes it’s about age, those of us with years of experience are seen as “outdated” rather than wise. Sometimes it’s about gender, race, or simply being someone who doesn’t play office politics. But no matter the form, when your ideas are only heard when someone else says them, or when your voice only matters when it agrees with the loudest person in the room, that isn’t collaboration. That’s erasure. And it’s time to stop accepting it.
Taking back your voice means speaking even when your opinion wasn’t requested, and especially when it’s inconvenient. It means reclaiming credit for your work instead of letting others take the spotlight. It means no longer apologising for taking up space in rooms you’ve more than earned the right to be in. You have experience. You have insight. And you have every right to be seen and heard.
In our families, the pattern of invisibility can be even more deeply entrenched. You might be the one who holds everything together, the peacekeeper, the one who “doesn’t need much.” But strength doesn’t mean silence. Just because you’re reliable doesn’t mean your feelings should be overlooked. If your voice has been boxed into a role—quiet, stable, selfless—it’s time to step out of that shadow. You are allowed to speak hard truths. You are allowed to need things. You are allowed to reset how people see and treat you.
And in friendships, visibility is often the clearest sign of respect. A real friend sees you, not just when you’re in crisis or when it’s convenient for them, but consistently. If you’re always the one who listens, who supports, who understands—without receiving that same presence in return—then your voice may be getting lost. That’s not connection. That’s emotional labor without reciprocity.
You don’t have to accept this kind of quiet disappearance. You don’t need anyone’s permission to speak. You don’t have to earn your right to take up space. Your story matters. Your perspective matters. You matter. Taking back your voice isn’t about yelling. It’s about choosing visibility. It’s about refusing to let others shrink you to fit their comfort zones. It’s about standing fully in your truth—even when others benefit from your silence. Because silence isn’t always strength. Sometimes, it’s surrender. And you are far too powerful to be erased.
FrogDiva Thoughts 