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From: Alan Badmington (to Janet)
Date: 21 Oct 2005
Time: 18:21:42 -0500
Remote Name: 81.79.43.22
Hi Janet, I was delighted to receive your post. Thank you! As discussed recently, I think it would be best if I respond privately, as my comments are likely to be lengthy and detailed, But (for the information of others), I shall briefly mention that I principally used creative visualization in the early stages. I generated images of myself in certain forthcoming situations. For example, if I had a public speaking engagement, then I would ‘see’ Alan Badmington standing in front of the audience. I would ‘hear’ the cacophony; ‘feel’ the atmosphere; and ‘watch/hear’ myself speaking in the manner that I wished. I always ensured that it was a positive experience. I have also occasionally utilised the NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) technique known as ‘anchoring’. This has principally occurred prior to an important speaking engagement, particularly where I have felt tired as a result of travelling. The tool has allowed me to re-create a previous, highly successful, speaking experience, together with the accompanying feelings of elation. For example, in February 2004, I was a keynote speaker at the World Congress for People Who Stutter, in Western Australia, where I also won the public speaking contest. It is a simple matter to take myself back in front of that large audience and hear the applause, AND re-live the emotion, that I felt at the time. I don’t use the technique very often, but it had proved beneficial on occasions, putting me in the right frame of mind. I also used affirmations during the early days to convince my subconscious that I was already capable of doing certain things successfully. For example, I would constantly tell myself, “I can speak confidently at all times”. It was always used in the present tense and NEVER included a negative (eg I do NOT stutter). I’m not too sure that affirmations, when used in isolation, are too successful. However, I made use of them in conjunction with numerous other approaches. With regards to your query about comfort zones, may I respectfully refer you to my paper ‘STEP OUTSIDE: Why expanding comfort zones can improve our stuttering and lead to more fulfilling lives”. You already have the link. Janet, it was a great pleasure to chat with you earlier this week. I shall communicate with you more fully (by private email) in the very near future. Thank you for being so patient. Kindest regards Alan