Your Powerful Voice
What does it mean to ‘use your powerful voice’?
My first thought is which voice? My writing voice or my speaking voice? What does it means to have a voice as a writer? Who am I and what do I have to say? How is what I have to say any different than what anyone else has to say? Is how I speak different than how I write? Should it be?
In writing I believe there is a maturation in developing your voice and discovering who you are and what you stand for. How you view the world is different than how anyone else views it and learning to express yourself through writing can take time and experience.
Your voice is as unique as you are and stepping into your powerful voice is more a process of uncovering it rather than creating it.
Your voice is as much a part of you as your legs or your hair. It is a part of your soul yearning to break free and breathe. To be witnessed and heard. To expand into its maturity and express itself. When you find your writing voice the reader often feels your authority, power, honesty, authenticity. A connection is made.
And then we have our physical voice. As young children we first learn to speak and use our vocal cords and quickly learn the power we yield over the adults in our lives. We use our voice to get attention by crying, screaming, even whispering. We learn ‘inside voice vs outside voice’. We may learn to not use our voice to stay out of trouble. Some of us were taught to be seen and not heard. All of these things effect how we use our voice today – which is mostly unconscious until we start examining how effective our communication is.
An important thing to note…while speech is how you use words, voice is how you create sound. The use of your physical voice is completely different than your writing voice, yet can be just as powerful a way to make a connection.
I spoke with voice coach and co-founder of articulaterc, Hilary Blair, on the power of our voices and she tells us that we can use our voice as a wall to hide behind and not be seen – which leads us to not feeling heard. The frustration is that we may not know why we aren’t being heard. You can listen to the interview on the Fresh Tracks with Kelly Robbins show here.
As business owners, as Fresh Trackers, as adults in today’s world, using your voice is a powerful tool. We use our voice to close sales. To share ideas. To influence others and to change lives. We use our voice to stay in connection with others.
If you want to be heard and make a positive difference in your life and the lives of others you can’t just raise your voice. You have to share what you have to say in a powerful and impactful way. Discovering your powerful voice plays an important role on the journey creating Fresh Tracks.