My quest to speak clearly?

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
binocular
Posts: 8292
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:13 pm

Re: My quest to speak clearly?

Post by binocular »

I used to record my voice and tried this and that vocal practice to improve it. That didn't work, eventually, it just got me upset and made my throat hurt.
In my personal experience and insight, the core of the problem is that when I'm not sure what I want or what I'm supposed to do, then my voice goes awry.
When I have a to-do list, a schedule, when I have a clear idea what I'm supposed to be doing at a given time, then my speaking is clear and I feel good about it.

So, basically, being clear about what tasks I need to do and attending to those tasks takes care of a lot of other things (for me, that's both voice and posture).
Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
JDW
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2014 10:59 pm

Re: My quest to speak clearly?

Post by JDW »

binocular wrote:I used to record my voice and tried this and that vocal practice to improve it. That didn't work, eventually, it just got me upset and made my throat hurt.
In my personal experience and insight, the core of the problem is that when I'm not sure what I want or what I'm supposed to do, then my voice goes awry.
When I have a to-do list, a schedule, when I have a clear idea what I'm supposed to be doing at a given time, then my speaking is clear and I feel good about it.

So, basically, being clear about what tasks I need to do and attending to those tasks takes care of a lot of other things (for me, that's both voice and posture).
Hi binocular, I think you've really hit the nail on the head. I've been giving all this a lot of thought and your message relates very well to my past experiences. I've been living under the false illusion that I had an unclear voice but in actual fact it was just a late developer with some very minor faults early on in my life. This however lead me to being very unconfident in my later life which made it difficult to talk to people which I blamed on having an unclear voice. As you can see, its a horrible cycle to say the least that went on for years, now though I'm finally beginning to mature to the truth and idea that this horrible cycle has been at the root of my "unclear" voice.

The only bad thing is, this has lead me to developing many a mental health problems at the present day, many an irrational thoughts that have replaced many of my rational automatic thoughts. Just a whole can of mental crap and now I've got to face up to these fears I've developed and overcome this.
binocular
Posts: 8292
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:13 pm

Re: My quest to speak clearly?

Post by binocular »

I hope and wish you find a way that works best for you!
Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
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modernmonk
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2015 9:04 pm

Re: My quest to speak clearly?

Post by modernmonk »

Hello JDW,

In regards to your voice, try slowing down. The voice will become clearer and more relaxed as you slow down and ease any present anxiety.

As a child I experienced a stretch where I was constantly stuttering. I went to a speech pathologist where I learned to speak slower. It might seem trivial, but it works.

Through practicing meditation, your mind will gradually loosen its attachment to thoughts. This will ease anxiety, allow you to think more clearly, and result in better articulation. All of these factors will improve your quest to speak for clearly and effectively.

Forgiveness meditation can be incredibly useful in letting go of attachments.
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