Your voice is telling on you.

Do you like the sound of your voice? What about your speaking voice?

What’s the deal with disliking our own voice, anyway?

Ah, the poor voice—it really gets a bad rap, doesn’t it?

This week, one of my students did something I call “studio ears”—cupping her hands around her ears so she could really hear herself. And that’s when it dropped: the hate bomb. “I’ve always hated the sound of my voice,” she said.

Oof. That’s strong. But I hear it all the time.

If I had a dime for every time someone said that, I’d be sipping tea on a little island somewhere.

Try it for yourself—cup your hands around your ears and hum a simple note. What do you hear? What do you feel?

And be honest—can you even feel or hear anything before judgment rushes in like a tidal wave and shuts it all down?

Over the years, I’ve seen all kinds of reactions when people really hear themselves. Some people light up with wonder, like they’re meeting their voice for the first time and falling a little in love. Others recoil, overwhelmed or even embarrassed by the sound of themselves.

So... what gives?

I remember reading a book called Your Voice Is Telling On You by Daniel R. Boone. That title has always stayed with me. Because it’s true—your voice is telling on you. It’s revealing things, whether or not you want it to.

And that’s where it gets real.

Our voice holds so much more than just sound. It’s tangled up with our sense of self—who we think we are, who we wish we were, what we’ve hidden, what we’ve lost, what we carry with shame, and yes, even what we love most deeply.

The student I mentioned didn’t come to me to learn how to sing. She wanted to feel more at ease with her speaking voice. But when she saw how singing could open her up to a whole new range of color and tone, she leaned in, all the way.

Here’s the thing: your voice doesn’t lie.

It’s not about guessing or overthinking. The voice tells the truth, plain and simple.

The question is—are you ready to listen?