I have a big voice. It’s deep. Resonating. Booming. I get loud, quickly, without realizing that I’m doing so. It’s often difficult to control. Especially when I get excited or passionate about what I’m saying. Many who know me will tell you that I get excited and passionate about a lot of things.
My dear wife, bless her heart, has taken to gently whispering “Inside voice…” when these times occur. Perhaps to some it may come off as a bit maternal, like she is speaking to a child. The truth is, I don’t mind it. In fact, I have slowly adopted it to mean more than just how she intends it – A gentle reminder to lower my voice to an acceptable tone for the situation.
Indeed, I am also using this as a reminder to myself. Not only using my inside voice more but also _listening_ to my inside voice more. I am trying to be more conscious of being silent and really listening both to others in conversation and to my internal dialog when I am alone. To speak carefully and with purpose.
Far too often I don’t listen to my inside voice. I don’t listen to it when it is telling me I’m hungry. I don’t listen when it is telling me I need rest. I am too busy responding to the noise the world is making. My mind too involved with output to process the many inputs and interpret their meaning. My inside voice will tell me when something is an opportunity. It will also warn me when something is not quite right.
So, I have resolved to be more beholden to the voice inside and practice silence so I can hear it.