There burns within us this desire to be of service. To effect change. To pass along something that goes beyond who we are in our short lives.

It can be easy to shy away from that, feeling not quite up to the task of creating what we’re meant to create or stepping into how phenomenal we really are.

It can be terrifying: “Who do you think you are?” and “What makes you think you can?” and “You can’t really change much.”

But I believe: you are a change-maker.

You have something to contribute.

Your voice is one that needs to be heard.

Then come the waves of cultural critics, arguing that we have become a culture of narcissists, and that it’s all this talk about “believing in yourself” and “making your voice heard” that amplifies this trend.

But they’re missing something essential–narcissism masks a deep-seated self-hatred.

Making your voice heard creates change.

I look at all of the civil unrest going on in the world right now; the riots, the protests.

Yes, they’re scary.

They’re also powerful. They also have me feeling more alive, because I can feel the aliveness of the people willing to stand up for something and say, “No.”

I don’t condone destruction; I celebrate the insistence on having a voice.

It’s an interesting time to be alive.

When you have something to stand for, you have something to live for. What you stand for might not be overthrowing brutal regimes or ending world hunger or political reform. Perhaps what you stand for is people doing their best work, or tapping into their creative passions, or practicing courage.

But I still believe it’s true–that you, me, and everyone else–we desire to be of service. We desire contribution. We’re hungry for the connection that that creates.

Please don’t hold back–show the world, us, who you are.

Kate Swoboda is a Life Coach, speaker and writer who supports change-makers to clarify, build, and live their big visions. She’s the author of the Courageous Living Guides and creator of the Courageous Play and Create Stillness retreats. In the Fall of 2011, she’ll debut The Coaching Blueprint. She’s excited about learning languages, reading as many books as she can, getting bendy-stretchy on the yoga mat, the quest for the next amazing chai latte, and running.