Honoring Your Voice

One day when my now adult son was in kindergarten, I was waiting at his bus stop for his school bus to arrive. We lived in a pretty rural area and I had to walk up the road to an intersection that was central to most of the neighboring children’s homes. On this particular day, the school bus arrived as usual, the doors opened and my son emerged excited to see me. As he began to rush off the bus and cross the street to give me a big hug, I heard a motorcycle rounding the corner at a high rate of speed. It was clear the driver was unaware of the stopped school bus because the corner temporarily blinded him. Realizing that my son and the motorcycle were on a collision course, I  had to make a decision; put myself in the path of the motorcycle and possibly leave my son motherless or yell! I chose the latter and yelled at my son to STOP! 

Now I know that does not sound all that remarkable except that the voice I summoned in that moment had all of the power and the urgency that the life threatening situation commanded and my son who had never heard this voice before froze in his tracks, stunned! He didn’t step a foot off that bus. The motorcyclist slammed on his brakes and skidded perilously close to where my son would have been. I am happy to say that all were safe albeit rattled and after that incident the town changed the location of the stop to a much safer area. I tell this story because that voice, my voice, prevented a possible tragedy. Changing my voice changed the situation!

 Your voice is the current that your words ride on. More than words, your voice conveys your belief in your message and more importantly your belief about yourself! Voice reveals your mood and emotional state. If  your voice doesn’t match the emotional intent of your message then the message you want to deliver will be misinterpreted or dismissed. This can lead to frustration and feeling misunderstood. If you want to deliver an uplifting and encouraging message but your voice is barely audible and monotone, your message won’t be believed. My son responded to my voice not my words.

If you are identifying with a false sense of being powerless or a victim, your voice will reflect this. When you make a commitment to personal growth, aspects of your life naturally begin to change.  As your income grows, you might get rid of your old clunker of a car for a newer, reliable car that represents your new found sense of security and self worth.  Likewise, as you learn about yourself and develop confidence in your personal power, your voice may no longer represent who you have grown into. The way you use your voice is a habit and as the saying goes, old habits die hard. Once you are comfortable in your own skin you will want to uncover your unique vocal quality that allows you to naturally express your newfound love and acceptance of yourself so you can extend that to others through your authentic voice.

Your voice is a revealing instrument of self expression. It is amazingly flexible and and has the potential to be very impactful. It has the ability to soothe, inspire, encourage as well as irritate, anger or annoy. The reaction you want to elicit depends on your awareness of how your words are being delivered, the awareness of your voice. But how do you develop vocal awareness? 

When I am assessing my client’s vocal quality, the voice that is authentic is easily recognized because it is produced effortlessly. It swells with volume and can easily be sustained. This is where your voice wants to be most of the time. This is your true voice. From this place, a range of pitches and loudness levels are easily achieved. When you are speaking with your true voice, your words will literally begin ringing true and your listeners will start resonating with your message. You will gain attention without having to repeat yourself or manipulate the environment. You will convey meaning without having to explain. Your voice will empower your message!  

Once your authentic voice is uncovered, I provide a variety of feedback tools to help you develop vocal awareness so you can practice your voice until it has become integrated. You will also be given a variety of practice opportunities in a multitude of settings and scenarios until your authentic voice becomes natural, effortless and unshakable even under perceived stress.

If you are on a journey of self growth and feel your voice is not reflecting your unique confident self, consider voice therapy or vocal coaching. I can help you find and use the voice that reflects the powerful being that you are. Honor yourself by honoring your voice.