Watching the movie “The king’s speech” I looked at the inner voice expressed by the speech impediment of the prince. It seems to me that everyone has this impediment, some time or another. While it might seem insignificant, understanding what the core reason is and understanding it can help produce the real inner voice, which is so important in these times.
There are several reasons why the inner voice is inhibited:
- Self esteem and control – Who will listen to me? I don’t think I’m important enough to talk.
- Education – there are always better students, don’t talk if you aren’t the best or top of the class.
- Information overload – there is always something to ingest, to read, to look at. Facebook updates, tweets, blogs, etc can serve as a distraction
Of course, the first reason is the most important one, and the most challenging as it requires making a bold statement about one self. That’s why there are some ways to ease the process:
- Shut down noise – disconnect from the distractions, close the browser, close all other applications except notepad.
- Start writing – write the things you want to say: work, personal, technical, just do it.
- During the writing you will find out you have an opinion, that you do have something unique to say, and it matters. It matters to you, to see your own voice.
The moment you find your voice, something special happens, people start listening, and they react. This reaction is what fuels the change, the interaction of ideas, beliefs and cultures, nourishing the inner self and improving every aspect – work and personal. In the process, the self esteem changes, the inner voice is released and ones true value is shown. As Tom Peters puts it in reinventing work, the only way to show real value you bring is when you have a clear message that you can share. When your personality shines from the work you do.
For our King George VI, he was the voice who sailed England through World War II, demonstrating that even kings need to overcome their own difficulties.
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