your voice is your power
Nobody likes the sound of their own voice.
But I did.
The school talent show was the place to be for everyone except me. I preferred to watch and cheer as my friends danced to the Spice Girls or played the violin. Until one day, a group of us decided to go on stage and perform a song together. I was 14 years old, and as the singer, I secretly enjoyed taking my place in front of the others and counting them in!
They started to play, and I began to sing. But nothing came out.
The microphone wasn't on! Oh, the shame!
My music teacher headed for the stage as people began to chatter and stare. "Should we let them have another go?" he teased.
"Oh, come on! We're really good!" I announced as the microphone squeaked into action. My assertion took me aback and I caught sight of my dad smiling in the audience. My parents were just as surprised as I was that I had not only taken the stage but spoken out. I remember the adrenaline rush as I began to sing and heard my voice fill the room. The same voice that was usually aimed at the floor and never spoke out in class.
For a couple of minutes, everyone heard me. And I forgot to ask myself how well I was doing: if I was hitting the right notes or swaying with the beat of the music. I just listened.
The eyes may be the windows to the soul, but the voice is the outlet for your dreams: your ideas, your emotions, your energy are all suffocating inside you without a voice to bring them to life.
I was floating over the heads of my friends, teachers, and family members. I felt proud, inspired, and electric. Singing brought out the real me. Not the one I presented to the world, but the one that wanted the freedom to fly untethered through the airwaves. My voice scared me, exhilarated me, and made me believe in me.
There is no limit to what you can achieve with your voice because you make the rules.
When I started my business, it was a no-brainer to be the voice of my brand. My voice alone validates my vision, expresses my energy, and communicates with my clients. As a copy coach, I meet women who have different relationships with their voice. Some feel their words are failing them. They are not grandiose, captivating, concise, or descriptive enough. They don't know enough, stand out enough, or feel natural enough.
Tapping into your authentic voice means finding what is holding you back and flicking the switch.
Once you give yourself permission to speak on your own behalf, you can begin to believe in yourself enough to say, "Come on. You've got this." That is when your audience will start to get it, too.
Words hold a powerful energy that can bring us to action or hold us hostage. What do you choose to do with yours?
