I didn’t know I had a Voice until 2010. (That story requires a different post.) I’m not talking about the sounds that come from my mouth when I speak. I’m not talking about my vocabulary or my choice of words. Being a New Englander, I call those dangerous circles of merging traffic a Rotary. My wife, being raised in Virginia, calls them Traffic Circles. That’s not what I mean.
Voice is our dialect, vocabulary, pace, rhythm, and our inflection. It is our grammar, our spelling and our punctuation. Our voice is what we say, when we say it, and how we say it. It is the content, the delivery, and the underlying message. Voice is our personality. It is our crying, our laughing, and showing our vulnerability. It is our frustration and our anger. Voice is passion. Voice is an expression of who we are.
I believe our voices are not purely defined or limited to how we express ourselves in written words. We express our voices every day in how we interact with others. Do we get impatient in the grocery line? Do we swear at aggressive drivers? Do we hold doors open for someone? Do we thank the Shuttle Bus Driver for a safe ride to our rental car? You see, we express our voices in every moment. I hear other peoples’ voices everyday. Some are quite beautiful. Some could definitely use the help of a Voice Coach.
I am glad you are here, to hear my voice. I have a lot to say. I promise you, I will be brutally honest. My voice is transparent. No lies. No fabrications. No crap.
I can’t carry a tune to save my life, but I am going to sing and let my voice be heard. I’m driving 60 m.p.h., windows down, sun roof open while it’s raining, singing the wrong lyrics, and having a damn good time! Maybe, just maybe, I might inspire you to use your voice.
When is the last time you really used your voice? Have you heard or seen beautiful voices lately? Let me know. Leave a comment.
Be Kind. Be Thankful. Be Significant.