- Create a Voice that Exudes Your Spirit
- Eliminate Fears That May be Holding You Back
- Become an Effective Public Speaker
- Tune Into Your Resonance
- Speak with Conviction
- Let Go of the Past
The Relationship Between Time and Your True Voice
These days it can be hard to be heard. When you speak you may be missing opportunities to be in the here now and to fully express yourself. You may even have a clear message but may be missing opportunities to connect with clients and colleagues because of subtleties within the voice that you may not notice. There are many aspects to finding your true voice including vocal nuances and a deep connection with your underlying self and sense of purpose.
This guidebook is for women who are searching to express themselves more fully by allowing their voices to be heard. It is very clear that your voice speaks volumes about you. People can tell immediately if you are comfortable with yourself and if you truly speak what you are feeling. They can detect little subtleties in your voice that indicate if you are held back, tentative or insecure in your own being. We as women have been taught to “hold back” more than let go with our voices. When your voice is vibrating at your highest level it more resonant and usually deeper. In NLP we talk about the tone, timbre, and tempo of the voice in order to attain states of excellence.
Being mindful of the tone, timbre, and tempo of the voice while publicly speaking, can create a dramatic difference in how you are being perceived and how well your audience will know, like and trust you. We know that people like people who are more like them. So when we communicate to our audience and show them vocally that we understand them, they will be engaged and listen to us. When our audience knows, likes and trusts us, we can move mountains. We are looking for congruency in our voice which helps us to create states of excellence in ourselves. Creating excellence is what NLP coaching is all about.
So how do we get there? Taking a look at different tonalities can reveal a lot about the way we are communicating with our audience both consciously and subconsciously. There is a fine line between sounding like an expert and being too authoritative. We live in a culture in which we do not want women to sound too “masculine” in their voices. We understand that the perception of “masculinity” is both a cultural and a situational one as well. You will speak differently in front of a group of army graduates differently than you would in front of a group of ballet students for example. So our perception of our audience is a key component of how we will be project our voice. Both audiences, in this case, are looking for similar vocal qualities like stability, confidence, and knowledgeability. But perhaps one audience relates to a more authoritative tone than the other. The real art is calibrating your energy to match the audience vocally while being true to yourself.
We have been conditioned to hold back more than to move forward vocally in our culture and this has culminated in many women feeling constrained in their self-expression. It is very true that your own voice comes from the center of your being and to a highly trained ear, you will reveal volumes about yourself when you are speaking. It is no wonder that some people fear public speaking more than death. There is a lot to fear if you are not communicating fully and are too self-conscious. People will decide within the first 30 seconds if they like you, so why not have your voice be vibrant, focused and calm? How can you alleviate your fears and break past limitations when you are communicating? It is very important to breathe naturally when you are speaking. This same idea applies when you are singing as well. If breathing was so easy, then why are we being reminded to “breathe” when we sing and to “breathe” when we speak?
So here are four steps that you can take to have a stronger more effective voice for communicating:
- Exercise every day, at least 30 minutes a day or more. The more the better. Our bodies are designed to be used and have a tremendous capacity for strength and aerobic conditioning. When your cells are not getting enough oxygen, you are not sufficiently eliminating toxins and your BMR (basal metabolic rate) will be lower. This can explain energy lows and if your body is oxygen deficient, you will come across as a low energy person. The chances that your breathing rate will be steady and confident also goes down with the absence of exercise. So keep moving and exercising at a minimum of a half hour every day. Your voice and your body will thank you.
- Practice speaking in front of a mirror. How do you look? Are you confident? How is your body language? Record your voice and listen to it. Is your voice resonant or “breathy”? Is your tone “deep” or shallow? Is your tone natural for what you are talking about? What can you do to modify it you find it is not. Keep in mind that the Tone of your voice is referring to the pitch /frequency of the voice. The Tempo of your voice is referring to the speed/pace or rhythm of your voice. The Timbre of your voice is the quality and characteristics of your voice. Play with these qualities in your voice and take the time to find out which one best matches your spirit.
- Clear your past both physically and mentally. This will allow you to be more present. This is very powerful. When you are here, you need to be here fully both physically and mentally. You can’t be thinking about yesterday or a few moments ago and have any type of personal power in your speaking. Be here now. You have heard it but what does it mean and how do we get there? An incredible shift in your consciousness can happen when you learn to truly “let go of the past”. Letting go of the past means letting go of unwanted thoughts, ideas, and patterns that no longer serve you. It also means letting go of unwanted physical clutter in your life. Practice purging clothes, books, objects, furniture that you no longer use. You will be creating a form of magic as many professional organizers are aware of. Letting go of old documents, outdated electronics, just about every place you have accumulated “stuff” in your physical living environment is deeply satisfying and you will notice a shift. NLP coaching helps you to let go of unwanted habits and patterns. It can also help you set the stage for physically letting go of the past. This is a method of integrating yourself into the present that creates major transformational shifts for you. You will become stronger and more confident by this and your voice will exude that confidence and strength.
- Practice a Physiology of Excellence. This is where you explore and practice good strong posture and breathing habits. When you have perfect posture or “form” in your movements and actions your body will be as stress-free as possible. It is physically impossible to be depressed with excellent physiology. Most NLP practitioners know that a physiology of excellence exudes personal power by its very nature, So be mindful during the day of how you are standing, sitting, walking and moving. Be mindful of how you carry your body when you are talking. Is something in your body out of alignment? Are you favoring one side over the other? Are you slouched? Are you hunched over or leaning back? Be mindful and always practicing your body language so that you can conserve energy and allow your body to function at its healthiest.
As you allow yourself to practice these new habits to support your own groundedness in your voice, you will develop more charisma and personal power. You will actually be training your own body and mind to love and support you. You will have more energy to give to others through the sound of your voice. It has been said that our voices have been held back over the years. Now is the best time to take back your personal power and step into your true voice.
