Why Your Message Matters

From Ache to Anthem – Why Your Message Matters More Than Ever

By David Bolt, Founder of TenXed

True Story: The Whisper That Led a Movement

Harriet Tubman was born Araminta Ross in Maryland, around 1822. She was born into slavery—beaten, overworked, and sold between families like livestock. By the age of five, she was already carrying water to the fields. By twelve, she had suffered a traumatic head injury after stepping in to protect another enslaved person from a beating. That injury left her with epilepsy, vivid dreams, and sudden blackouts that lasted the rest of her life.

She couldn’t read or write. She had no title, no platform, and certainly no army.

But she heard God speak. And she listened.

What she lacked in education, status, or eloquence, she made up for in crystallised conviction.

When she finally escaped slavery in her late 20s—alone and on foot—most would’ve expected her to disappear into the safety of the North. But Harriet couldn’t rest. As long as others were still shackled, her freedom didn’t feel complete.

So she returned. Not once. But over a dozen times, guiding more than 70 people to freedom using what would later be called the Underground Railroad.

She carried no map. Just her memory, her faith, and a revolver to protect those she was leading. She was nicknamed “Moses” for a reason—she didn’t just believe in freedom. She delivered people into it.

But here’s the remarkable thing: Harriet Tubman never stood on a stage and shouted her message. She embodied it.

It wasn’t a slogan or a brand.

It was a life poured out.

A conviction so clear it rewrote history.

She once said:

“I had reasoned this out in my mind: There was one of two things I had a right to—liberty or death. If I could not have one, I would have the other.”

That was her message.

It didn’t need polish. It had power.

And that power still echoes today.

Why Your Message Matters

Let’s be clear: you carry something.

Not just a skillset or a strategy.

Not just a lived experience.

You carry a sound—a message forged in ache, purified by obedience, and waiting to be named.

And in a world obsessed with performance, polish, and platforms, it’s easy to forget the simple truth:

The message that changes lives is rarely manufactured—it’s revealed.

It’s uncovered in quiet moments.

In the ache.

In the “never again” vow you whispered alone.

In the injustice you just can’t unsee.

In the conviction that kept burning long after the crowd went home.

That’s where the real message begins.

What You Say Isn’t the Message

A lot of leaders I work with come in thinking they have to invent the right language. But messaging isn’t invention—it’s excavation.

Your message isn’t just what you say—

It’s what you can’t not say.

It’s the burden that stays when others forget.

It’s the pattern you notice that others dismiss.

It’s the truth you wish someone had spoken over you.

Harriet didn’t need a logo.

She didn’t need a funnel or a tagline.

She had a message that cut through fear and echoed forward into history.

And it wasn’t created—it was carried.

So let me ask you, leader-to-leader:

• What ache have you carried long enough that it’s now time to name it?

• What fire has stayed lit, even in seasons where everything else fell apart?

• What injustice still stirs you to tears—and might that be your assignment?

Where We’re Headed Next

We’re going to find your anthem—the message that already lives inside you, even if the words feel out of reach right now.

Together, we’ll walk through a guided process that uncovers:

• The ache that started it all

• The person you’re called to serve

• The truth you carry like a torch

• The transformation you guide others through

• The phrases and frameworks that give it shape

And when that message clicks—when it finally fits your mouth and feels like your bones—you’ll stop second-guessing.

You’ll stop striving to convince.

You’ll start speaking with authority. The kind born from obedience, not performance.

Sit With This:

I want you to reflect deeply. Not with a brand hat on. Not with a “what sounds good?” filter. But with honesty before God.

1. What ache have I been carrying that might be asking to become an anthem?

2. If I stay quiet—who misses out?

We don’t need more noise.

We need messages that move.

Born in ache. Lived with integrity. Carried with courage.

Let’s find yours.

– Dave

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