It’s mid-July. Wow! How did that happen? Wasn’t it just January??
Time to reflect on our goals for the year, see how far we’ve gotten (or not gotten), and refresh and re-focus ourselves to make the fullest, best use of the rest of the year!

Here’s a tip to open things up for your year. Open up to speaking in your authentic voice.

I’m all about authentic voice. I work with clients to open up their full range of self-expression, and their ability to speak in their authentic voice.

Often, when I ask a client to try a new level of expression, or a new way of speaking, they get uncomfortable, and say it doesn’t feel authentic.

This issue came up again with a client just the other day. I was coaching her to use more expression, and she said “That doesn’t feel like me.”

So, what does it really mean to be authentic? What does it mean to speak in your authentic voice? 

I can tell you from my work with hundreds of clients that it doesn’t mean staying in your comfort zone. “That doesn’t feel like me,” or “I feel like I’m acting” only mean that you are moving beyond what’s habitual and “normal” for you.

Your sense of self is partly defined by the way you speak, the way you use your voice. We have an idea of one “true self,” as if that is something immutable. Unchangeable.

The truth is we evolve and change throughout our lives. We have new experiences. We learn new things. We change behaviors. We move to a new place. We get a different job, or create our own business.

A rigid sense of self prevents us from learning and growing. The moments that most challenge our sense of self are the ones that teach us the most.

Learning, by definition, starts with changing behaviors in a way that can feel unnatural or superficial. When we persist, the new behaviors come to feel genuine – or we uncover the realization that the new behavior is MORE genuine than the old.

Evolving and changing requires us to move out of our comfort zones. You know that. Learning, evolving and changing is essential for us to have successful, meaningful lives.

So, be open to evolving your habits of speech. We’re comfortable staying within those habits. Because going against our habits can make us feel like imposters, we can use authenticity as an excuse to avoid feeling uncomfortable.

The way you speak is something you think of as part of your identity – it’s “just who I am.” Your voice, itself, is a core part of who you are. But the way you habitually use it is not. Your usual voice is only PART of who you are.

You have far more expressive range than you usually use. Your habits of speech have got your voice in a box. You hold your voice back because of things you were told (or told yourself) about how it is okay to sound – okay to speak. You hold your voice back because of experiences you had (like being humiliated in front of the class, or being abused). When you hold your voice back, you hold yourSELF back.

That box you’ve put your voice in is NOT the whole of you. Just because parts of you have been shushed and silenced doesn’t mean they aren’t there. When you add more expression and emotion to your voice, that’s more YOU. When you speak in different voices, that’s YOU. When you speak with more power and confidence than usual, that’s YOU. It’s all authentic.

You’ve heard the phrase “think outside the box.” Well, you need to SPEAK outside the box you’ve created for your voice.

Changing those habits of speech is a fabulous tool for shifting habits of being that are no longer serving you. Evolving your voice is crucial to evolving yourself.

What could it mean for you to give your 5-year-old self, who had been shamed for her exuberance and told to be quiet, permission to speak? Permission to come back into wholeness with your adult self, and contribute her creativity and playfulness to your voice and your life?

That creativity is just what you need to move forward for the rest of the year.

What would it mean for you to give your powerful, strong self permission to speak? That part that got told she was “too much” or “too intense?” What would happen for you if you re-integrate her into your life and your voice? That energy is just what you need to recommit to accomplishing your goals.

What if you expanded your idea of yourself? You can use your voice to become more of who you are. That’s just what you need to step into the person you need to become in order to achieve those goals.

Wouldn’t it be worth it to be uncomfortable for a little while in order to reclaim your whole, authentic voice, and through it, your whole, authentic, expanded self, so you can actually achieve your goals?

A client rave: “Now I can choose how to speak. I have options! You dispelled my idea that there was A REGISTER, and RANGE I needed to be in my voice. I learned that all of it is mine. All of those nuances are part of me – my variety, my spice, my uniqueness. I can bring all of it. I have access to all of my voice. You brought a lot of stuff out of me that I normally wouldn’t talk about, and I saw how those old stories were holding me back. The more real I am, the more love I get. My power is diluted when using my learned, ‘corporate and controlled voice.’ “ – Stone Love

I’d love to support YOU in getting all the juicy benefits of speaking in your authentic voice. Let’s talk!

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Client Rave:  “Ariana, thank you for being my guiding light, my beam of hope for speaking with power, authority and confidence, and for helping me unblock my greatness. You are SO multi-talented, and I’d recommend you to everyone!” – Josephine Hanan

If you ‘d like to talk with me about the possibilities of working together, book a Voice Your Value Breakthrough Session! My treat. We’ll explore how to empower your authentic voice, reclaim parts of yourself that have been shushed and silenced, craft your compelling story, and brainstorm opportunities for business and personal growth, so you can step into YOUR greatness.