A lot of people do not like my voice. They are put off by my frankness, and loudness. Even my boss, and those who have known me for years, constantly ask me this question:
"Why do you SOUND like that?"
The question by itself is offensive. For the record, I did NOT create myself. I have limited control over WHAT I LOOK LIKE or HOW I SOUND. Perhaps instead of criticizing me, you should ask the CREATOR why HE made this way? But I digress.
God has given me this VOICE and HE has given me the permission to use it! Whenever I speak out about issues, whether its related to family, business, politics, work or social issues .... I AM SPEAKING with purpose!! The goal is to infect my environment. To bring about CHANGE by giving a VOICE to those who cannot speak for themselves. While a simpleton might think I am being bitter, or spiteful, what they are really doing is taking a simple and immature approach. My past experiences are indeed FACTS, or "receipts" as the kids say. Experience is tangible proof that helps to solidify the points that I am trying to make. This is often why I share my stories, some of which are very difficult to relive and tell. However, MY STORY is not just mines alone. Most of the things I speak out on does not just affect me; others also are affected. Some of which are too broken, afraid or unknowledgeable to speak for themselves. Some are unaware of the help that they need.
People these days are too much in there FEELings. The word of God talks about those being "easily" offended as a sign of the end times. Whether you are believer or not, the real is that people are often disturbed when they cannot manipulate or control you. For me, I am different; much like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. I am NOT a puppet. I am also not easily intimidated. At the same time, this is the very genesis for many of our issues today. We want people to make us feel good with their words, to pleasantly play to our insecurities. We want people to stroke our egos and uplift our self esteem. In other words we want to be AGREEABLE. And we do not want to put in the WORK that is required to make a difference. Even if that means working on SELF.
Realistically, relying on your comfort level as a measuring stick for truth and goodness is dangerous. How many times have you been duped by someone or something that made you FEEL good? Be honest. Some of us right now, are in situations we could have avoided had we paid attention to the substance of ones words, rather than how a person made us feel. People will often tell you with their WORDS, and show you with their ACTIONS what their intentions are. PAY ATTENTION! If you are perturbed or enticed by simply the SOUND of someone's voice, then you are NOT using your critical thinking skills. Quite frankly, you are putting yourself in an uneven position. FEELINGS are important but they are also FLEETING. Do not misconstrue my points here; you feelings DO MATTER. All I am saying is, how you feel does not always translate to FACTS.
Pitch, sound and tone all have their vital roles in written and oral communication. Sometimes it is not what you say, but HOW you say it that makes all of the difference. I get that and I agree. In seminary school, ministers are trained in how to enunciate and elevate their pitch at specific points during the sermon or service. Do you know why? It is because they are using their voice to play to the emotions of the audience. Playing to the emotions of people has a long history in story telling- it is used to prompt the listeners to ACT . Pay attention next time you go to church...when the speakers voice changes, notice how it is often followed by some sort of instruction:
To STAND
SIT
SING
GIVE
PRAISE etc.
Just like a church minister, I use my voice to help articulate and propel action. My overall purpose is to promote CHANGE and INFECT my environment . This cannot happen when we are at ease and are people pleasers. Getting things DONE never happens this way. For instance, if you want to lose weight and begin a new exercise routine, it's going to HURT. You want to give up a bad habit, guess what? You probably won't FEEL good at first, and it's going to be an uneasy process. Even if you are pursing some other goal, I guarantee you, you will not FEEL good during the process. BIRTH, aka CREATION aka NEWNESS aka ELEVATION in the figurative and literal sense... is AN UNCOMFORTABLE event.
So while it is not my intention to make you feel good, it is also not my intention to be offensive either. If you are easily and negatively influenced by the things that I SAY... the WORDS that I am speaking, the EXPERIENCES that I share .... or the SOUND of my voice...
Then perhaps you are exactly the one who I am supposed to be talking to.
Be Blessed!
RDW 🌹
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Powerful post.