The Listenary

What would it feel like to know that if you opened your mouth and spoke, heads would turn and attention would fasten on your words?

You can take care of your voice, and it will take care of you. Your speaking voice makes some of the first and most lasting impressions a new acquaintance will ever get about you. You can take care of your voice and cultivate a great quality of sound.

The first tip for taking care of your voice is to keep hydrated. Drink water. That's water, not soda or alcohol. Soft drinks and alcohol actually steal hydration from your body. Your voice cries out for water.

Picture your vocal cords vibrating and rubbing against one another without a bit of lubrication. See how this could produce abrasions and then scar tissue or callouses and other distortions. Indeed, your voice cries out for water!

For more about your body's needs for water, get Dr. Fereydoon Batamanghelidj's book, Your Body's Many Cries for Water, at www.watercure.com.

In winter seasons especially, when heated air is so very dry, you must pay attention to wetting your whistle. So while you're chatting, keep a glass of water nearby. It pays to take care of your voice.