Voice: “A wish, choice, or opinion openly or formally expressed; right of expression; influential power.”
Power: “The capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events.”
…And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
People can tell within a few seconds how tall someone is just by hearing their voice. Leadership potential, attractiveness, and masculinity are other factors women subconsciously perceive by hearing a couple words from a man, and that judgement happens within the first few seconds of an approach or conversation. Men go for women with higher-pitched voices that tend to go with a smaller body size. A sound known as the sub-glottal resonance, which deepens with height is the reason behind this, taller people generally have larger lower airways, and this extra space creates a deeper sound. Females subconsciously make a link between the pitch of a man’s voice and the quality of his genes, this is why men with a deeper voice have the most children.
The power and influence you wield on a daily basis depends on how you use your voice. Doubt can creep up within our tonality and with our words we cause our future to crumble, losing the momentum we once enjoyed. When there’s an emergency, we run up to someone, anyone, asking with passion and urgency. People respond to that immediately, and there’s a directness that we use that can’t be denied by the other person. On the other hand, there are those who are currently experiencing financial woes and it’s because of their inability to view their current situation as an emergency. Tony Robbins makes a very clear statement in a few of his courses, saying that most people are comfortable with their current financial situation, and when something happens to them, in regards to them losing or gaining money, it quickly returns to their comfortable state – they either spend impulsively what they just made or they gain right away what they just lost.
If you’re looking for breakthrough in your life, you’ll need to see your current situation as an emergency, and view the glorious version of yourself as your norm, doing everything you can, with urgency to get to that level. The first thing you must change is your voice. “And the tongue is in a sense a fire, the very world of injustice and unrighteousness; the tongue contaminates the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, the cycle of man’s existence, and is itself set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and sea creatures, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the human tongue; it is a restless evil undisciplined, unstable, full of deadly poison.”
The first thing to change is the end, meaning the end of your sentences. Think back to when your parents or someone in authority spoke to you in a stern manner; you’d stop and listen. Now think back to a time when someone on the street was begging for change, saying something like, “Can you spare a quarter, please?” How many times have you completely ignored that person? Think about your relationships with man’s best friend – dog’s don’t speak English, but they can understand a persons tonality. Dog’s cower and submit when a stern voice is spoken and lovingly jump up and lick your face when you speak to them in a sweet voice. It may seem counter-intuitive, but for humans, whose purpose is to “have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth,” speaking with something called ‘down-talk,’ just may be the key to creating the reality you desire. During my research about voice, I came across the Passaggio application – an application that analyzes your voice moreso than any type of recording studio equipment, and shows you what you need to do in order to make it sound better. I suggest trying it out – as you cannot hear your voice the way other people do, which is why you sound so different on video, and which is why it’s far better to have a booming voice – because to you it sounds booming but to them it sounds masculine. A tidbit to keep in mind is if you’re going to be speaking with a much louder voice, and you’re approaching new people, you’ll want to aim your voice at the ground near their feet instead of directly at them – do this while looking at them and it will come across as if you were on top of a hill or mountain calling them to come up to your level, which instantly increases your value in their eyes, it also sets the stage for them to make those instant judgements about you and filter everything else that happens after that through that initial interaction and display of status.
Another trick is to use funny, high-pitched voices to combat the negative thoughts in your mind. Dr. Amen makes mention of “Automatic Negative Thoughts,” and so do countless other self-help guru’s; and the point is that you can argue with the thoughts in your mind and start acting as if you believe the best is yet to come. The more action you take based on beliefs and see the results you’ll believe that belief stronger and when things don’t turn out the way you believe they will you make them turn out that way by sheer willpower and through trying again and again and not accepting the things the way they are. Tony Robbins talks about the ‘Eraser’ technique in several of his courses – which is simply taking a scary, traumatic, or in any way negative memory, replaying it in your mind, and then reversing it, messing with the pitches of the voices, putting clown hair on people, big red noises, and essentially make it ridiculous so that when you think back on it you have no choice but to laugh. Same thing goes with negative thoughts like anxiety and rejection, if something negative happens, or a bad thought comes to mind, in a funny voice just say, “Nooooooo.” And move on until something more favorable comes along, like so:
There’s three levels of speaking:
When you’re speaking for trying for rapport you’re communicating that you have a lower amount of social value, imagine talking to your teacher. Then there’s neutral where your tonality is not fluctuating that much, which gives off the peer type of vibe, the way you’d talk to a fellow classmate. The third is breaking rapport, like talking to your younger sibling. This is where the tonality curves down, and it subconsciously says ‘volumes’ about your value and your sense of self worth. Your voice can be summed up into two types of inflections, “up-talk,” or “down-talk.” Think about when you’re speaking to a dog – when you’re giving it a command, your voice starts with a higher inflection and then gradually decreases. Now think about when you’ve spoken to an intimidating boss, or an attractive member of the opposite sex – how many times have you spoken with that ‘commanding’ tone that you would a submissive pup that you own? If you think about it, more often than not, you would be speaking to that person with what we call ‘up-talk.’ Up-talk is essentially a low status way of speaking, it shows submission and it comes in the form of asking permission and has a vibe of uncertainty to it. It’s basically seeking approval.
In essence, vocal projection is very important, not only in speaking with members of the opposite sex, but also in terms of business, speaking to groups of people, and declaring to those around you exactly what it is that you want. Asking must be done with the expectation that you will receive it. Seeking is going through enough people to get what it is that you want, you cannot just go with the little sidebar on the bottom right of your Facebook screen to get what you want, you’re going to need to reach out to key people, find their numbers, and call. That’s what knocking is about, and with your online voice you need to do everything you can to get them to be on the phone, then you need to do everything you can to get them to be in person, that’s how you’re able to get the best deals. Vocal tonality is a subconscious cue which helps you get what you want and it increases the chances drastically that people will do what you tell them to do. There was a study someone did once upon a time where they would go up to people and ask to cut in line without a reason and then again, only the next time saying, “because,” and 80% more of the time when they said, “because,” the person would say yes, even if it was, “Hey, can I cut in line because I want to finish up faster.” Now let’s look at how Jesus spoke with authority. “They were completely amazed at His teaching; because He was teaching them as one having authority.” It was right after this a man who was demon possessed was brought before Jesus and the demons within the man began saying to Jesus, “What business do You have with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus replied “Silence! Come out of him!” “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the demons, and they obey Him.” Another incident, several chapters later, was when a huge storm hit the boat the disciples and Jesus were traveling on. The disciples were freaking out while Jesus was below deck asleep; they came and woke Him up saying, “Don’t you care that we’re gonna die?” He got up and sternly rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still!” And the wind died down, as if it had grown weary, and there was at once a great calm a perfect peacefulness.
In the third instance, there was an occasion when he went to get fruit off of a fig tree and it had no fruit, he told the roots to dry up and the next day the tree had shriveled and died. “He was hungry. Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if He would find anything on it. But He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, ‘No one will ever eat fruit from you again!’ And His disciples were listening to what He said… In the morning, as they were passing by, the disciples saw that the fig tree had withered away from the roots up. And remembering, Peter said to Him, ‘Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered!’“ It’s the very next verse after this that the famous, “whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’” line was said.
During my time at a Bible College in Honolulu, I was in the library looking through some very old books, one that caught my eye was the book, ‘Marco Polo.’ I remember, of course, playing the game, ‘Marco Polo,’ as a kid, where we’d play “blind and seek,” chasing each other around yelling “Marco,” and waiting to hear from one another, “Polo.” I hadn’t actually learned the whole story of this guy Marco Polo, so as I sat there reading, and I read the book for hours, I found, in one of the chapters, a story he recalls of well, here’s the excerpt:
“The miracle which I will relate to you took place between Baghdad and Mosul. In the year of the Incarnation of Christ 1225 there lived a Caliph at Baghdad who was very ill-disposed towards the Christians. Day and night he was for ever thinking how he could convert all the Christians in his country into Saracens or, failing that, have them all put to death. And on this problem he continually sought the advice of his men of religion and counselors. For they all joined with him in wishing ill to the Christians; indeed, it is a fact that all the Saracens in the world are agreed in wishing ill to all the Christians in the world. Now it happened that the Caliph and his advisers hit upon the following text. They found it written in one of the Gospels that, if there were a Christian who had faith as great as a grain of mustard seed, then by praying to the Lord his God he could make two mountains join together. When they found this, they were overjoyed: here, they declared, was a pretext for converting the Christians into Saracens or else putting them all to death. Thereupon the Caliph sent for all the Christians, Nestorians and Jacobite, that were in his country, who amounted to a very great number. When they had come before him, he showed them this passage and had it read to them. After they had read it, he asked them if it was true. They replied that it was most certainly true. ‘Then do you affirm,’ said the Caliph, ‘that a Christian whose faith is as a grain of mustard seed is able by praying to his God to make two mountains join together ?’ ‘Certainly we do,’ said the Christians. ‘Then,’ said the Caliph, ‘I will set you a test. Among so many Christians, there must surely be one who has a little faith. Therefore I tell you this: either you will move this mountain, which you see there,’ and he pointed to a mountain not far away, ‘or I will make you all die an evil death. For, if you do not make it move, you will show that you have no faith. So you will all be put to death; or else you will be converted to the good law that Mahomet our prophet has given us, and will have true faith and be saved. To do this I will allow you ten days’ grace. And if at the end of that time you have not done it, I will have you all put to death.’ After that the Caliph spoke no more and gave the Christians leave to depart.
When the Christians heard the Caliph’s words, they were greatly perturbed and very much afraid of death. All the same, they had good hope that their Creator would deliver them from this great peril. A council was held of all the learned Christians who were their prelates; for they had bishops and archbishops and priests in plenty. But they could see no way out of it but to pray to the Lord their God that He of His pity and mercy would send them guidance and deliver them from such a cruel death as the Caliph would inflict upon them if they did not do as he commanded. What more shall I say ? You may be sure that the Christians spent day and night in prayer, and earnestly besought the Savior, God of heaven and earth, that He of His pity would deliver them from the great peril that they were in.
In this solemn prayer and supplication the Christians continued eight days and eight nights, male and female, great and small. While they were thus occupied, it happened that an angel came in a vision bringing a message from God to a certain bishop, who was a man of very holy life. ‘O bishop,’ he said, ‘go now to such-and-such a shoe-maker, a man with one eye, and tell him to pray that the mountain may move; and the mountain will move forthwith.’
Now, as to this shoe-maker, I will tell you what sort of man he was and what life he led. You may be well assured that he was a man of great probity and chastity. He fasted much and committed no sin. Every day he went to Church and to Mass. Every day he gave away some of his daily bread for God’s sake. He was a man of such virtuous character and such holy life that you could find none better, near or far. I will tell you of one thing he did that will convince you that he was a good man of good faith and good life. He had often heard the lesson read from the Holy Gospel; “that if thine eye offend thee thou should pluck it out of thy head or blind it, so that it may not cause thee to sin.” It happened that one day a beautiful woman came to the house of this shoe-maker to buy shoes. He wished to see her leg and foot, so as to see which shoes would fit her. So he asked her to show her leg and foot, and she promptly did so. And without doubt she had a beautiful leg and a beautiful foot, so that you could not ask for greater beauty. And when the master of the shop, who was as virtuous a man as I have described him, saw this woman’s leg and foot, he was forthwith tempted, because his eyes looked on them with pleasure. He let the woman go and would not sell her the shoes. When the woman had gone, the master said to himself: ‘ah, false traitor that you are, what are you thinking of? Surely I will take heavy vengeance on these eyes of mine which offend me so.’ There and then he took a little awl and made it very sharp and thrust it into the midst of one of his eyes in such a way that he burst the eye inside his head, so that he never saw with it again. So he was certainly a very holy and virtuous man. And now to return to our story.
Now you may be sure that when this apparition had come several times to the bishop, bidding him send for the shoe-maker so that he by his prayer might make the mountain move, the bishop gave a full account of it to his fellow Christians. And they were all in favor of summoning the shoe-maker to come before them. And so they did. When he had come, they told him that they wished him to pray God to move the mountain. At first he declared that he was not such a good man that the Lord God would do so great a thing in answer to his prayer. But the Christians begged him and coaxed him. And what need of more words ? They begged him to such purpose that he promised to do as they wished and make this prayer to his Creator.
When the last of their days of grace had come, the Christians rose early in the morning, make and female, great and small, and went to church and chanted the Holy Mass. After they had chanted and performed all the service of our Lord God, they set out all together towards the plain at the foot of the mountain, carrying the Cross of the Savior before them. When the whole company, who numbered fully 100,000 souls, had come to this plain, they stationed themselves before the Cross of the Lord. The Caliph was there, with such a great multitude of Saracens that it was a marvel to behold; they had come to kill the Christians, because they did not in the least believe that the mountain would move. And all the Christians, great and small alike, were filled with fear and doubt; but all the same they had good hope in their Creator. And when all these people, Christians and Saracens, were in this plain, then the shoe-maker fell on his knees before the Cross and lifted his hands to heaven and besought his Savior that the mountain might move and that such a multitude of Christians as were assembled might not be put to a cruel death. When he had finished his prayer, he cried: ‘In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, I command thee, mountain, by the virtue of the Holy Ghost, to depart thence.’ He had barely ceased speaking when the mountain began to crumble and to move. When the Caliph and the Saracens saw this, they were dumbfounded, and many of them turned Christian. The Caliph himself became a Christian, but in secret; for when he died, a cross was found round his neck. For this reason the Saracens did not bury him among the tombs of the other Caliphs, but put him in another place.”
When you hear a king speak, give a decree, or issue a command… there’s no going back and there’s no question in his voice as to whether or not he cares if anyone approves of his command. Let’s take a look at some of the verses in the Bible that have the word ‘decree,’ in it.
“You will also decide and decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And the light [of God’s favor] will shine upon your ways. He has also established them forever and ever; He has made a decree which shall not pass away.“By me kings reign And rulers decide and decree justice. Otherwise they drink and forget the law and its decrees, And pervert the rights and justice of all the afflicted. So the decree went out that the wise men were to be killed; and they looked for Daniel and his companions to put them to death. You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, dulcimer, bagpipe, and all kinds of music is to fall down and worship the golden image. Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego shall be cut into pieces and their houses be made a heap of rubbish, for there is no other god who is able to save in this way!” “This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers And the decision is a command of the holy ones, so that the living may know [without any doubt] That the Most High [God] rules over the kingdom of mankind And He bestows it on whomever He desires And sets over it the humblest and lowliest of men.” I issue a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to [reverently] fear and tremble before the God of Daniel, For He is the living God, enduring and steadfast forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be forever. He issued a proclamation and it said, “In Nineveh, by the decree of the king and his nobles: No man, animal, herd, or flock is to taste anything. They are not to eat or drink water”
I want you to take a second to think about your voice. Your voice is a very interesting aspect of what makes you human, for the ability to speak is truly what separates humans from any other species on planet earth. Let’s take a look at what happened at the Tower of Babel in the book of Genesis. “Now the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, ‘Behold, they are one unified people, and they all have the same language. This is only the beginning of what they will do in rebellion against Me, and now no evil thing they imagine they can do will be impossible for them. Come, let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) go down and there confuse and mix up their language, so that they will not understand each others speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the surface of the entire earth; and they stopped building the city.”
Here we see that God Himself acknowledges the fact that in unison, with one voice, one language, nothing would be impossible for us as a human race, for we’re made in His image.
Whether you’re aware of it or not, you’re voice is either hindering or assisting you in your life. This includes your ‘digital’ voice which encompasses all social media, e-mails, and the way you portray yourself online. What I want to express is how important the subject of voice has been in my life, and then convince you to take the practical action steps I’ve outlined here to take back control of your voice and to truly open your eyes to see how your voice virtually affects every aspect of your reality.
Try different accents
Incredible program called Rebump – just found out about it, re-sends your email until you get a response… GENIUS!
I connected with Tyler when he was in Waikiki, he had a great attitude and was a pleasure to speak, very funny and enjoyable guy.
For you rappers who want to improve you’re rapping voice, this will make a huge difference:
