Have You Ever Heard Yourself Talk? :
(Click Here For Audio) Over the past week I’ve been making a recording of my blog post and posting them to a separate platform, but I’ve provided a link within the blog so you can click and listen, if you so choose.
Now, for the most part, I keep my computing devices, even my smart phone, silent because I’m not one to listen to rattling noises from websites as I research and search for information. Besides, I read faster than I listen and in a glance I can grasp the data I need, but to listen to you talk, and drone, and spend hours what should take minutes? Well, that’s just about a complete waste of my time!
Still, there are times I enjoy listening to the banter between news anchors, or other talking heads. Some have pleasant voice and speech mannerisms that just make you want to tune in.
For example, of all the news anchors I’ve ever listened to, I can still hear Walter Cronkite closing out his daily news cycle with:
“And that’s the way it is, Friday, May 12, 2017. This is Walter Cronkite. Good night.”
Without research, and decades later, I can hear his voice in my head. All through the 60’s and 70’s he spoke into our household and I will forever remember his quality words, and voice, his gentlemanly behavior as he spoke of victories, challenges and tragedies. He is often spoken of as the most trusted man in America. Why? We believed his words. They were spoken facts as they were known, and it was Walter Cronkite who told me of the assignations of the 60’s, along with the Space program, and the war that was unwinnable. We watched and listened to him as he spoke to our hearts and minds of the important news we needed to know.
There is something about the quality of some voices that begs you to listen. It’s like a singer. There are some you can hear and understand their lyrics, the music is a quality you enjoy, and the beat keeps you connected, note after note. We were listening to a favored singers new album last night, and one song in particular changed beat and went down a path I was not expecting – “Turn it off!” I couldn’t take it! That one song may never become a favorite, although I still enjoy the voice.
The other thing about my hearing is that I do not hear as well as I should. All those years of mainframe computers droning in the background created some hearing issues for me. My doctor says it’s about the range where most women’s voices are known to be! Proof! I don’t hear women as well as men, or, I have to listen better when a woman speaks than when most men speak. Still, there are voices, regardless of gender, that I have to focus all my attention on just to understand what they are saying…
Add to that, there are voices that simply grate on my nerves and I could never spend hours, much less a minute, paying any serious attention to them. That’s not their fault. It’s mine. But they pay the consequence of my inattention. I tune them out.
Add to that, just one more thing. There are some speakers that make no sense and their jocularity has no place in my hearing. I could never accept them in a serious mode because of their senseless banter.
Have you ever heard yourself talk? Try it. Turn that smart phone recorder on, and simply read a page of some favored reading material. Scripture. News. Book. It doesn’t matter. Read, and listen, and report back. Go ahead. I’m waiting…
Here’s My Daily Thought: When you read and record material provided by another, you are reading their words with your voice. But when you write what you want to say, and record it, then you are speaking your words with your own voice. And it becomes easier. Too often, the words we speak never originate with ourselves. We speak from another’s platform, speech style, and message. What you need to do is to learn the facts yourself, develop your own voice and speak your truth from your perspective, but back it up with solid facts!
We bend our voice to speak their words.
Unless you are in perfect harmony with the originator, then you are not able to speak their words as well as they could – even if their voice is not perfect.
Jesus doesn’t speak of his source of knowledge often, but this one time comes to mind. Consider that the words you speak are important and relay valuable knowledge of who you speak for, and the power of the words you speak.
In John 6:63, Jesus states, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” Regardless of the timbre of his own voice, the content of the words are Spirit (GK: pneuma = a breath or blast of air – think about pneumatic). This is the same Spirit they received on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) when they were filled with the Holy Spirit. It was that breath of spiritual air that filled them.
He was telling them something long before the event occurred! Our words can easily be mistaken when we just rattle something off the cuff, but when we know what the future holds, then our words are the very life someone needs in order to grasp understanding in the future.
This is why it is so important to listen to the way you talk! You need to learn how to speak so others can grasp the importance of your words!
Did you listen to the way you talk? Your command of the language, usage of words, and logical progression of thought… It all matters…I’m just saying…”That’s the way it is…”