Do you ever say the wrong thing?

Nah, it's probably just me

Welcome Sweetie. I want to give you a heads up the second half of this post is for my paid readers. I’m telling you now because it sucks to get partway through an essay and not be able to finish it - but I hope you read as much as you can, and I hope whatever you read invites you to carry on with the support of a paid subscription (it means the world to me!) or to pop over to the first post in this series which is available for all subscribers.

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Photo by Alexandra on Unsplash

Have you ever hung out with someone who’s tone of voice made your eyes cross? I don’t mean their actual voice but the tone they adopt.

I have.

Years ago I frequently hung out with someone who mostly talked in a baby-doll voice. It was bewildering to me. She was lovely inside and out and, from my perspective, had no reason to speak in a voice that was so clearly not her own. The problem was, aside from being irritating and distracting, I never felt like I could get past her façade to deeply know her because she would not allow her real self to emerge. The pretend baby-doll voice was as good as a physical shield to prevent closeness to anyone. I guess maybe that was the point.

Many years into our friendship we were away on a girls trip where ideas and confidences flowed freely. As the days progressed her voice grew noticeably stronger and more authoritative. Her shifting tone and demeanor allowed her to bloom right in front of our eyes. It was as if, without actually saying it, she was asking to be seen for who she truly was. It was interesting how HER tone of voice had such an affect on ME, even though it had nothing to do with me. I felt lighter and more worthwhile, like she valued me enough to be herself around me.

Our voice, and our chosen words, are part of our energy signature – our unique way of moving through the world. They are like a carrier medium indicating how we feel about ourselves, while at the same time delivering a charge that impacts others. They deserve our attention — yet often we are mindless with what we say and how we say it.

Keep reading, Honeybun, to find out how we can change our impact by paying attention to our voice. It’s part two in a series where I’m offering some free, easy ideas how we can elevate our energetic signature to feel better as we move through our days. You can check out part one here. It is available to all my readers.