Have we lost our power to speak?

As a Baby Boomer or even a Gen X-er, many of us have lived enough life that we have become a bit complacent. We have grown accustomed to making the money that we make and living the lives we lead, and we feel we can’t change. Well the reality is many of us are starting over. Divorce….again. The kids are finally gone and I’m not dead yet. Early (forced) retirement, outsourcing, restructuring. You get the idea. The state of the economy has either quelled our true voice even further or perhaps made us even more frustrated than ever before? It makes you wonder… Hey what do I really want to do? What do I really want to say? What do I want my life to be about? We have lost the power to communicate, the Power to Speak.

“Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.”

Henry David Thoreau

The Power to Speak is at the center of everything that we know to be human. We know each other and the world through our power to communicate our thoughts and ideas. Whether we use our voice, write articles or use hand or body gestures we are attempting to speak and share our thoughts and ideas with other people. Even when we do not speak the same language we can often find ways to get our messages across.

But what if you were criticized or humiliated at certain times in your life when you tried to share your thoughts or ideas? You would probably have trouble speaking up and expressing yourself in one of the four major areas of your life. In the personal area you may not think people respect you and they do not listen to you. In the business area you may be held back by not being able to present your own concepts. In the friendship area your friends may make fun of you when you try to tell a story or a joke or sing. In the public area you may not be having much effect because you cannot speak to people you perceive to be more powerful or you may fear public speaking.

So doesn’t it make sense that if you could master the Power to Speak you would get much better results in your life?  People would listen to you, your ideas would be seen as valuable, your relationships would be more meaningful and supportive, and you would be more successful in your life and your career.

To understand how to master your Power to Speak you first must understand how the power relates to your four major areas of life. Your Personal Power affects how you relate to your friends, family, and lover. One of the most important focuses is building and healing relationships; other points of focus include being heard and respected and creative power and control. Mastering your Power to Speak in this area will help you to improve those special, close relationships.

Your Business Power affects your ability to develop an optimum career and to attract money. Here the focus is on selling – yourself, a product or a service. Business Power influences how well you negotiate deals, present projects, and ask for what you need to grow professionally.

In your area of Entertaining Power you become comfortable with other people, developing friendships and providing joy to others. Developing this Power allows you to improve your ability and comfort with such activities as telling dramatic stories, sharing humor, and singing with a joyful voice.

The final area, your Public Power, is where you positively affect your community. Here you develop your public image as you improve your ability to speak to people who have power. This Power then allows you to educate others and influence public opinion. It is the Power of people such as the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Five Steps to Mastering Your Power to Speak

How can you master your Power to Speak?

1. Become conscious that in lacking the Power to Speak you are losing out on a lot of what you would like to have or do in life.  So, make a long list of what you are not getting from life that you would like to have or do.

1. Write down a long list all of the things you know or would like to know that are important for other people to know.

1. Make a powerful decision that you are going to do whatever it takes master your Power to Speak.

1. Learn and practice on a daily basis the skills of powerful speaking and communications and sharing what you know. Do it with passion and make it fun!  Become a master on your subjects by reading and researching them. This will really build your confidence because you are speaking about what you know. You do not have to be an expert on everything, but you can become knowledgeable on what matters to you.  Honor other people for what they know and have mastered and you will be honoring yourself.

1. Begin right now to practice with your voice by making a quick outline on a subject you know and speak it out loud ten or twenty times. Practice with a tape recorder, listen to other speakers, start to become aware of how this is a skill that will help you overcome your fears and will make you very successful. Also, be aware that working with an expert is the fastest way to Master Your Power to Speak!

To attend a FREE Weekend Seminar in September or October on “Mastering the Power to Speak” go to WWW.thepowertospeak.eventbrite.com, contact Fran Cannon at 619-665-8150 or email him at Fran@FranCannon.com.