THE POWER OF YOUR VOICE
- By Joyce Hansen

We take so much in life for granted. Have you noticed how quickly we turn to panic mode when we lose something we assume will always be there for us to use as we see fit.

I temporarily lost the use of both hands while I was the owner of a high tech manufacturing business. This handicap presented me with many challenges. I had to quickly have a Power of Attorney drawn up in order that payroll and supplier cheques could be signed because at that time I was the only signing officer of the company. I still have a copy of that unrecognizable signature in the drawer of my desk as a reminder to be thankful for the use of my hands.

Thank goodness my bank manager supported and protected me throughout this horrendous experience. It was also helpful that my brother was working in the business at the time and he became my signing officer with me overlooking his shoulder of course. I was paranoid about someone else having the ability to authorize the use of the money I had designated for the business.

At that time there was no e-mail so I enlisted the assistance of my mother to write all of my faxes and had her handle all of my written requirements as she had excellent penmanship skills; better than mine even after I returned to having the use of two hands.

As all humans seem to do, I put that experience behind me and went on with my life thinking no more unpleasant experiences would come my way. About a month ago, I caught a severe version of the flu and I was bedridden for two weeks. In the second week of my illness, I lost my voice entirely. When I went to the Doctor he told me to basically “keep my mouth shut” for three days. Can you imagine what a sentence this was when my current business focuses on talking for a living - public relations being my area of expertise?

My clients were trying to communicate with me and I kept whispering and asking them to communicate with me by e-mail as I couldn’t talk. They were so frustrated because they were accustomed to picking up the phone and hearing my instant advice on situations that they were facing.

I felt that I had been placed in a straitjacket because I could not talk or take telephone calls and I could not be out in the public as I had not learned how to communicate by sign language in this short period of time. Even if I had that skill how many people would understand what I was signing to them? Talk about a death sentence for someone with a talkative nature like myself.

The morale of this story is do not take for granted your ability to walk and talk and to have the use of all of the parts of your body every day. Stay in a state of gratitude and be thankful for everything in your life. Lessons of life are learned every day. Be thankful for each one of them because we grow from each experience. You never know when you might not have a voice to share sentiments with your loved ones; chat with your friends; negotiate a business deal or have the ability to communicate with your clients.

Having a voice and being able to use it is a true gift – use your voice wisely!

Copyright Class Act Connections. All rights reserved. Joyce Hansen, President of Class Act Connections helps clients to manifest success. She can be reached at 906-278-0952 or joyceh@classactconnections.com.