May 8 Meeting Update: The Big Picture

All of us have experienced the peaks and valleys of stuttering: periods of amazing, inexplicable fluency followed by periods of frustrating, inexplicable blocks. The question we focused on at our last meeting was: what keeps you positive during the difficult periods? Here are some of the answers:

• using YouTube videos to practice pronunciation and reading aloud
• taking acting classes
• doing breathing and relaxation exercises
• focusing on long-term goals rather than getting stuck on the setback of the moment
• knowing that after hitting rock bottom, there's only one way to go: up!

It was especially inspiring to hear what a big difference it makes to keep your eye on the big picture,  to emphasize the chances you take with your speech rather than how fluent you are. One member has enrolled in Toastmasters; another has given half-hour and hour-long presentations and is considering a teaching position; another has been proactive in seeking out internships. They're putting themselves out there and not running away from opportunities because they think they'll stutter. And when they do stutter, they focus on moving forward and getting better.

Getting better doesn't just mean being fluent. We talked once again about how what really makes a difference is not to be afraid of stuttering any more. The weight we've felt on our shoulders for many years isn't the stuttering; it's the fear of stuttering. Coping with this fear and not letting it stand in the way is what really changes lives.

Another topic we covered was travel, and how jet lag and lack of sleep affect speech. Not positively, as you might have guessed! We heard some funny-scary stories about experiences at airports. We also talked about how there are things about us that we can't change. We're all wired a certain way and our biology is something we have to accept.

Finally, here's a great quote from Louisa May Alcott: "I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship."