We tend not to think about it because the voice we hear in our head sounds pretty good.
When we are confronted with our voice on an iPhone or voicemail, however, we are disbelieving.
It's a little like looking in the mirror when you're 50 pounds overweight and seeing yourself 50 pounds lighter.
I remember one woman who attended one of my workshops.
Upon seeing herself on video, she was appalled at her hairstyle.
Because she was accustomed to seeing a reflection of herself in the mirror, she was not seeing the true picture.
When I look in the mirror, I am not aware of my droopy left eye.
In a photo, however, I see the truth.
Image certainly matters.
Were you aware that your voice - the one you hear on recording equipment - accounts for 37% of that image? Is that a reassuring revelation or is it something you would rather not confront? You have a better voice.
I refer to it as your 'real' or true voice.
I do not mean in the figurative sense.
You have a better voice - literally.
You have a sound inside of you which is not nasal, whiny, throaty, wimpy, too high-pitched, too soft, or too loud, It is instead characterized by depth and breadth.
Yes, it is deeper in pitch; however, it also has a greater expanse.
James Earl Jones has a breadth of voice which fills the room when he speaks.
I am not talking about a loud voice or even a lot of volume.
I am referring to a voice which can be heard throughout a good-sized room without a lot of volume.
This is known as breadth of sound.
Once you find your real voice, you will notice that it has a warm quality.
That one adjective describes every single person who is using his/her real voice.
It is this warmth which draws your attention and makes you to want to listen.
Kathleen Turner, George Clooney, Morgan Freeman, Kate Beckinsale, Felicia Rashad, Peter Coyote, and Cher all possess this quality in their voice.
If image matters to you and you recoil when you hear yourself on your iPhone or some other form of recording equipment, you might want to consider voice training because your real voice is a powerful tool.
And, you just might just discover a voice as great as that of Julia Ormond or Dennis Haysbert!