Page 85 - 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself

People will conclude that I have been “blessed” with a powerful set of vocal

cords. But it is not true. As I related in an earlier chapter, my voice used to be no
better than a feeble monotone. That is, until I got motivated to change it. There
were two instances that inspired my system for developing my voice. The first
was a magazine interview I read many years ago about the actor Richard Burton
(who had perhaps the most mesmerizing speaking voice of all time—listen to the
Broadway recording of “Camelot” and hear him as King Arthur speak and
“sing” his songs). In the interview, Burton said that his voice was how he made
his living, so he made certain that each morning while showering he sang a
number of songs to keep his vocal cords strong. Later, on a television talk show,
actor Tony Randall told the host how he developed his trademark sing-song
acting voice: “I took up opera,” he said. “I found that singing opera did more for
my stage voice than anything else I ever tried.”

Those two interviews have stayed in my mind ever since, and I always have
music in my car to sing along with. I crank it up good and loud (this is best done
while driving alone) and sing at the top of my lungs. I make certain that I do this
every day, even when I don’t feel like singing. In the words of William James,
there’s another benefit: “We don’t sing because we’re happy, we’re happy
because we sing.”

Prior to a major public speech, I’ll often get to my location more than an
hour ahead of time and then just drive around the neighborhood singing like a
madman. (Sometimes I worry that my host client might drive by and spot me in
my car singing along with Elvis. But the benefits are worth that risk.) I find that
when I drive and sing like that, my breathing is better, my timing is better, and
when I speak, my voice effortlessly fills the hall.

You might think, I don’t speak for a living, so such a weird practice might
not be necessary for you. But we all speak. A pleasant, relaxed, and strong
speaking voice is a priceless asset to anyone whose job involves communicating
with other people.

When referring to people whose speaking voices are pleasing to listen to,
many people use words such as “melodious” and “well-modulated.” These are
good hints to tell if someone is complimenting a great speaking voice.

You are not stuck with the voice you have now. Start singing, and soon
you’ll be creating the voice you’d like to have. The stronger your voice, the
stronger your confidence. The stronger your confidence, the easier it is to
motivate yourself.