5 Voices

14Change Your World

Not long ago, while we were working on this book, I (Jeremie) caught a bad cold and, in the process, lost my voice for a few days. Steve and I both spend a tremendous amount of time throughout the year traveling and speaking in the United States and in Europe, and losing my voice was a frustrating inconvenience that required a lot of rescheduling, not to mention whispered and hoarse conversations at a time of intense pressure and multiple deadlines for our growing company. Not being able to talk was exhausting, not just for me, but for everyone who found themselves on the other side of a conversation with me, in a meeting, or on the other end of a phone call.

Bad timing aside though, having laryngitis reminded me just how important it is to have a voice, to know that it's strong, and that other people can hear it. My ability to be effective in my work, with the people I lead, and with my family and friends, was seriously diminished for those few, quiet days. And when I regained my ability to talk again, it was such a relief! I no longer felt incapable or incapacitated, and I returned to my speaking engagements with renewed energy, not to mention my own aha about this larger idea of the 5 Voices that we've presented to you in these pages. We can't begin to make a difference if we don't have a fundamental understanding of ourselves. We can't be world changers if we aren't equipped for the journey.

Earlier, we introduced the idea of being intentional in understanding ...