Real You: Finding your voice

I've spent a lot of my life not speaking up for myself. People find that hard to believe, I suppose, given my work history and the like. But it's true. Today I found myself unable to speak up for myself. What did I do? I cried. As women we're so often taught good girls don't get mad, don't express hostility or anger. But, we are encouraged to express our feelings. Somewhere along the line, my mad/sad reflexes crossed, and now, when I'm really angry - you guessed it - I cry.

I worked with a wonderful speech coach when I published my first book. I hadn't realized before then that when you write a book people expect you to speak about it. I'm a writer, I thought, not a speaker. Well, the reality is you have to become both.

Most of the time I spent working with my coach I spent finding my inner voice. My confidence. To know I had something to say and that others would want to hear it. Sure, I still need to remind myself of that lesson. But it's an important one.

You are important. You deserve to be heard. Use your voice. Be heard. Be strong.

Real You: The power of your voice

One of my favorite people, voice coach Arthur Joseph, has worked with an amazing line-up of celebrities, sports stars and ordinary folks in addition to his work with singers. His message, quite simply, is your voice is the window to your heart and soul. In his world, your voice is your Real You. The ability to speak clearly, to be heard, to voice your opinion is essential today, probably more than ever. Because even with technology and instant communication, when you have a chance to face one person or a room full of people, it's your voice, your words and their power that will either make them hear you or not.
And there is nothing like voice to convey emotion. (I'm saying that and I'm a writer!) Case in point: just spoke with my 15 year old on the telephone. He's at camp in Maine. We've been writing, secretly texting, but still the moment I heard his voice meant the world to me.
Do you use your voice to its full power? Are you saying what you mean, meaning what you say and standing in your power. When you have a chance to communicate directly - person to person - are you doing so powerfully? Think about it. It matters.