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ISA - 10th World Congress for People Who Stutter – Netherlands. June 10 – 14, 2013. STUTTERING & SELF AWARENESS. Obim Okongwu Toronto, Canada. Stuttering. A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. Questioning. Why do I stutter?. Why is it situational?.
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ISA - 10th World Congress for People Who Stutter – Netherlands. June 10 – 14, 2013 STUTTERING & SELF AWARENESS ObimOkongwu Toronto, Canada
Stuttering... • A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma
Questioning.... Why do I stutter? Why is it situational? Are there neurons, brain chemicals, enzymes involved? How do my blocks occur? Why is my stutter different? If physiological, why not consistent? In situations I stutter more, why not always? Is it physiological or psychological? Why is it impacted by the subject discussed?
Exploring.... Reading & Hearing – Other People’s Stories Observation New & Challenging Situations Speech & The Brain Human Behavior
Discovering.... Not Good Enough, Need to be Validated, Need to Please Thoughts & Perceptions State of Mind
Discovering.... amygdala
Actions & Decisions.... • Be okay with who I was • Be okay with not being perfect, being human • Be able to say no, and be okay • Be thankful • Speak up • Carrying less on what people felt about me and my actions • Be in the moment and be aware of my thoughts • Question my perceptions and not make assumptions about other people • Worry less • Seek opportunities to speak about stuttering, to inform • Not take things personally • Be able to use my stutter as a litmus test • Surround myself with messages that reinforce some the above.
Final Thoughts... • Quest for fluency and Zest for life • Blessings of an imperfect life • Courage • Self Therapist.
Questions, Feedback?
Tennis Analogy • Why do I play so well one day and not so another day? • Why do I play great during rallying but sometimes tighten during matches? • I know what I am doing wrong always keep on doing it. • When I hesitate on a shot, I make an error. • When I come close to game / set / match point, I tighten. • When I am being watched by certain people, I don’t play as well. • When I am in the zone – all appear to come together.
“The Inner Game of Tennis”, by Timothy Gallwey • When someone goes out to play, 2 people are playing: Self 1 (motivating, calculating, instructing coach – the teller); Self 2 (the one who goes to play – the doer). Without badgering of Self 1, Self 2 could play brilliantly. The further Self 1 takes matter into his/her hands, forcing instructions to improve play, the worse play actually gets. • Conscious trying directed by the conscious mind produces negative results. • Man is a thinking reed, but great works are done when he is not calculating or thinking. • To play your best, must live every second in the moment. • Success comes when you temporarily withhold judgement of success or failure but notice what is • When playing at ones best, you are not thinking in a technical way about a shot, you are a unit of fluidity – mind, body, court, and racquet. A state of flow. • The first skill to learn is the art of letting go the human inclination to judge ourselves and our performance as either good or bad. • The initial act of judgement provokes the thinking process. Tries hard, giving him/herself instructions. Further evaluation – which perpetuates the process of thinking and self-consciousness performance. As a consequence, the player’s muscle tighten when they need to be loose, strokes becomes awkward and less fluid, and negative evaluations are likely to continue with growing intensity. • The judgemental mind extends itself – “What a lousy serve”, - “I am serving badly today”, - “I have a terrible serve”, - “I am a lousy tennis player”, - finally, “I’m no good”.