Imagine having one of the most beautiful voices in the world, maybe in history, and one day losing it. Bam. Just like that. Gone.
That’s what happened to Julie Andrews nearly 30 years ago when a botched operation to fix a benign lesion on her vocal cords left her unable to sing.
What would YOU do?
Curl up in the fetal position? Go into a deep depression? Rage against the forces that took your greatest gift and stole your identity?
No doubt Dame Julie Andrews did all of those things.
And then…she got back to work.
She starred in more non-singing movies.
Each day she put one foot in front of the other. But as she lamented in an interview, “God, I miss it!”
Then she started writing children’s books with her daughter, Emma. Lots of books.
Emma told her, “Mom, you’ve just found a new way of using your voice.”
And just like that Dame Julie says, “The weight dropped off my shoulders. I had found a new voice.”
“Are we lucky, or what,” Julie regularly tells her family and herself. It’s the mantra that gave her her life back.
In some ways, some of you may have experienced a version of Ms. Andrews’ botched operation story. Your speaking voice is the most powerful, beautiful, and transformative instrument you have.
Yet how often have you silenced your voice for fear of saying the wrong thing or of being judged. What dreams of yours are still unfulfilled because it feels scary to put your ideas—your voice—out into the world?
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
There’s so much to discover when it comes to un-tapping the full potential of your unique voice and the skills you need to make that happen!
That’s why I’m excited to share with you the opportunity to work with me one-on-one to help you up-level your communication skills to speak authentically with confidence and courage. Email me and let’s talk about what might be possible for you!
But like learning any new skill, it takes practice. A commitment to pushing yourself to new levels of proficiency, even when it feels scary.
I know this is possible because I’ve walked this path myself.
Having presented to thousands of people over the past 25 years, I have forgotten my words, rambled, bored people, crammed too much information in, chosen subject matter that didn’t appeal to my audience, felt overwhelmed by nerves, and gotten embarrassed!
But every time I bombed, I metaphorically wrapped my arms around myself on the way home and, then…I got back to work.
And the payoff for always going back to work, for using my authentic and courageous voice, was the connection I made with people—with all of you. So that I can honestly say, “I have the best job in the world.”
It’s not magic. It takes discipline to make your dreams a reality. But to live on your own terms, with no regrets, now that’s something to behold.
It’s possible that some of you were thinking of a different mantra when you first read the title of this blog. Maybe Julie Andrews’ famous quip as Maria in The Sound of Music: “When the Lord closes a door, somewhere he opens a window.”
I believe that mantra works equally well.
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