The voice that carries you.

Ok; so a little career related spillage today.

I'm realizing more that the sound of my voice is the most intimate part of my communication and the public part of myself. I thought it made more of an impact on when I was doing "sales" previously in front of a crowd, but the voice I carry means so much more than that. It's the voice that says "I love you" to my children and my husband. The voice that sternly picks up when I have lost patience, the voice which shows how I care about others and their life. AND, the voice that EVERYONE else hears every time. One would think that I would want to listen to myself with the same attention and thoughtfulness that I would examine a photograph of myself for my facebook or for my walls in the house. But no. There are several reasons why I am reluctant.

• I did not evolve hearing my own voice as others hear it. (I DID evolve with the ability to see myself on reflective surfaces like water.) It is psychologically shocking to hear the voice as it is ‘out there’ and not as it sounds in my head during the act of speaking.

• I am highly skilled at reading the voices of others. Sadly, I sometimes make judgments based on this information. I feel exquisitely vulnerable when my own voice falls within this sensitive analytic radar. It's almost a high though as I find I feed off it.
  

• I know how to smile and comb my hair and otherwise manage my visual impact. But, I do not completely know how much I can improve my vocal image.

It's a little intimidating when there are so many technological advances in audio recording that I am unaware of, but I am determined to make it sound better with good equipment and listening to my voice objectively. (without a damn answering machine)

The moral of this story:

1. You can improve the sound of your voice. In your life, the way you speak to others, the way you speak to yourself internally too. You don’t have to be stuck the way you are.
2. Start with focused listening to determine what aspect you would like to change. We're already making changes, I'm making changes. I have made my first step.