Take Back Your Life!

“Be proud of who you are and not ashamed of how someone else sees you.”
~ Author Unknown

My husband was in a band and I’m was in a band last summer, so we love to watch band documentaries or interviews with Dan Rather about people in bands.

Recently, we saw a great one with actor Kieffer Sutherland, who is way more interesting than we ever imagined. He acted, left for  while to be on the rodeo circuit, returned to acting and is now also in a country band.

When asked a question about certain aspects of his life, he said, “You Are Who You Are, Be Proud of that.”

Totally resonated with me because of a recent chat I had with a wonderful up and coming coach named Kayla MacArthur. I was talking to her about my Demi Moorish type voice and how it was my perception that some people listening to it assigned false attributes to me. After dissing my own my voice, she said, “Why not think of your voice as what makes you unique?”

Bingo.

I felt so happy when she said that! I’ve done that with most every other aspect of myself, but the voice issue since it appeared 18 years ago has always been a sticking point for some reason.

Her simple observation clicked on a light switch I’d never seen before. For the first time, I saw my crazy ass voice in a different, improved, grateful light. Then I remembered that frequently people come up to me and say, “I heard someone speak and knew it was you.” Or, “I like your voice.”

Once, I had a story accepted for a radio show via email and I was terrified that if they heard my quirky voice, they’d cancel the story and my payment. The funny part was that after I spoke to the producer he said, “I love your voice. I could listen to you read the phone book.” I ended up doing that story and two more.

I’ve written about my voice before and have busted through a lot of barriers but there was still that nagging one about not even bothering to do certain things because I “decided” someone would think “X.” Like you can’t call up a company for a phone pitch because of THE VOICE.

If you’ve got things about you that you think others won’t approve of or won’t like, I say, “reverse the nasty thoughts in your head.” Turn whatever the self living up there is babbling about into a gem that you and only you possess.

My voice makes me unforgettable.

Who wouldn’t want that?

So many people feel totally forgotten, unremembered, unacknowledged. It’s an underlying problem of malaise.

Often by others, but more importantly by themselves.

Do others write us off or do we write ourselves off by agreeing with what they say or worse, what we think they might say?

Think of all the actions you keep from doing because you think someone will say or think something derogatory.

Hey, let them. You can even say “Thank you!”

The irony is they might not even say them but often the thought they “might” can alter our life path.

I’ve met more than my fair share of people who will not speak up (and they have silky smooth voices) because they fear someone will think something less (or maybe more on the positive side?) of them.

Honestly, I feel it is an excuse to keep ourselves from doing something great.

And I was using a GIANT one for my voice.

I can’t do this or that or this.

Sure I can!

Gather up all your quirks and give them a big hug …

Be proud of who you are!

Enjoy the week,

Giulietta “Julie” Nardone

ps, got some great programs coming up if you live in the boston area.

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