Find your voice… again

I lost my voice…almost…and found a way to get it back.

After 11 years of speaking, you’d think I know this:

Vocal cords need a workout.  No one told me.

SOVTEs. (Doesn’t it sound like a secret society for singers?)

My ENT doctor, Dr. Saito, introduced me to it.
It’s…game changer.

Picture this:
Me…

massaging my larynx

stretching my tongue like I’m prepping for the Olympics

blowing into a straw, 

making sounds, saying words, doing scales…

and singing the national anthem…

feeling patriotic.

At that point, I wasn’t sure if I was healing or auditioning.

And my abs got a fantastic workout.

My voice felt freer.  Lighter.  Less…dramatic.

Dr. Saito’s advice was simple:
Do it every waking hour.
Or whenever you can.
Or whenever your voice starts filing complaints.

I had to pause my speech practice for over a week,
but now I’m easing back in, more aware than before.

Because here’s the humbling part:
It’s possible… I did this to myself.

Have you ever pushed yourself to speak,
and your voice just said, “No. I’m off duty”?

My enthusiasm took me right to the edge…
and then gave me a little shove.

It hit me…

I don’t need to speak bigger.
I need to speak smarter.

A few years ago, my husband Greg said,
“You sound like you’re leading a protest.”

Not giving a speech.
Leading a protest.

I wasn’t speaking.  I was staging a vocal uprising.

I never forgot that.

So I tried to adjust.
Be more nuanced.  More subtle.

But probably my vocal cords were already saying,
“Too late.  We’re unionizing.”

We often hear: Start and end with power.

But power…isn’t loud.

Power is:
gentle,
slow,
grounded,
with pauses that say more than words ever could.

If you want to show emotion, go quieter.
If you want to build intensity, slow down.
If you want to be memorable, don’t shout.

Be soft.

Let your eyes…your face…your silence…do the talking.

Because when you stop yelling your message, people hear it.

Every experience teaches.

My hoarse voice was a reminder.

Speaking isn’t just about words.
It’s your whole being.

And taking care of your voice—that’s part of the job.

If you want people to hear every word…you want to make sure your voice is showing up.

And here’s my cue:

A voice you feel stuck in your throat…That’s a protest.

A voice supported from your belly and felt in your face…That’s a speech.