I have been writing an Annual New Year letter for many years. This tradition is always an opportunity for me to spend meaningful time reflecting on what I want to say, and why I want to say it. 

I reflect on the year I/we have just experienced, and what I envision for my Self, and our global society in the year to come. 

Every year is, of course, a transformational year for all of us. We do not live in stasis. In my Work, Vocal Awareness, I always refer to the transformation we all seek, as The Journey, and teach that the "Journey is never outward toward achievement of our goals, rather, always and only inward toward discovery of the Deeper Self." When we are grounded and more fully integrated in Mind/Body/Spirit consciousness, outcome, fulfillment, and positive inevitability are more likely to manifest. 

I teach Communication Mastery and Empowerment Through Voice. I cannot, of course, empower you; it would be arrogant to think so. Rather, through the craft of Vocal Awareness one develops the skills to empower themselves. Through Communication Mastery we create the opportunity for Life Mastery.

This all leads to what I want to share this year.

As I thought about what could be meaningful, original, helpful, and inspiring, I tuned into my Deeper Listening and began thinking about the arc of my life—my values, my teaching principles—and realized that my entire life—both personally and professionally has been exploring Mastery/Spirituality/embodying integrity, all with the goal of Sovereignty as my destination. 

It is quite clear to me that we are all living in the most challenging time in our history in the last 90 years—wars, terrorism, famine, the rise of despotism, xenophobia, anti-semitism—the lack of civil discourse, poverty. In America, the unraveling of the social safety net, gun violence, immigration challenges, distrust, name-calling, lies sold as truth, truth sold as lies. 

Domestically and internationally the list goes on. 

Which brings me back to the purpose of this year’s letter. A letter that is perhaps the most important one I have ever written. 

Inhumanity is clearly on the rise. With demagogues rising to the fore, and the ill-informed masses, and sycophants that prop them up feeling emboldened, their communication is no longer simply spoken; it is shouted. It is designed, implicitly and explicitly, to intimidate, to frighten us into submission. Policies are even being designed to silence those who actually have the courage to speak out.

This is a letter designed to help us CLAIM OUR POWER. 

Earlier I implied that my life’s Work has been teaching us how to claim our power—teaching us how to claim our birthright, our sovereignty. 

The core of this understanding is that VOICE IS POWER. When we own our Voice, we own our power. When we have the ability to own and speak this truth, NO ONE CAN EVER TAKE OUR POWER FROM US. But for myriad reasons, too complex to go into here, it can be terrifying to find OUR VOICE, and speak truth to power from this Voice confidently and consistently. 

In opera, before walking onstage, a singer is often greeted with the phrase, “In Boca al Lupo” (Walking into the mouth of the wolf). For this is what it can feel like when a singer walks out to perform in front of thousands of people. 

So what do the rest of us, who do not have years of professional training that provides us with the skills to overcome our innate fears, trauma…to do. How do we overcome the terror of ‘walking into the mouth of the wolf.’ 

Actually, it is quite simple, and I will teach you how to do it right now. The following, however, is only a brief outline of what is a far more formidable practice. If you'd like a more in-depth understanding, please explore my website.

Once again, as Vocal Awareness actually teaches Life Mastery through communication, the Rituals and techniques I am briefly introducing here are designed to always activate mind/body/spirit Conscious Awareness.

First, claim your Self as an individual of Stature, feeling extraordinary about your Self. When you embrace this concept, you will notice the body's first impulse is to inhale. This reflects our soul’s understanding of an internal truth and we breathe in response.

This is followed by the First of 7 Rituals. In the 1st Ritual simply say ‘Thank You to Source/God’ or whatever spiritual relationship connects you with your Source. Do not express it audibly, simply embrace the thought internally. One can actually be an agnostic or atheist and simply say ‘Thank You’ When we acknowledge our Selves from the deeper connection of the 1st Ritual, our bodies respond in the same way as when we claim our Self as an individual of Stature. It will inhale.

The Second Ritual is to Love and Let Go. Even without empirically or intellectually understanding, simply within your Self, slowly and conscientiously say this phrase out loud: Love and Let Go. As you engage in the various Rituals, please do not rush or treat them perfunctorily, as merely repetitions such as when we work out. These are embodied disciplines, so I ask you to treat them with the love and respect you and the Ritual deserve. You will immediately feel the benefit when you connect with Love and Let Go, and once again the body’s first impulse is to inhale.

As I've said in previous New Year's letters but will reiterate here, the root of the word spirit/spiritus means to breathe, inspire/inspirare to breathe into, and the Hebrew word Neshamah means both soul and breath.

The simple point is that these Rituals shift us from unconscious habit, and create an opportunity to step into what is truly possible simply through the awareness of breath.

This then leads to the 3rd Ritual of ALLOWING (not taking) a Slow, Silent, Conscious Loving Breath and enjoying it while we do so. This Ritual breath is never rushed and takes a bit of practice. By that, I mean less than a minute to connect with the distinction of allowing versus taking. Our Conscious Loving Breath takes 5 to 7 seconds.

The 4th Ritual is to See the Edge and Arc of Sound. It is a rather complex technique and one that is really worth developing, as it will enhance the very sound of your Voice in ways you never thought imaginable. When done effectively, you will achieve maximum resonance and vocal strength. Resonance is critical, because resonance conveys authenticity, authority, trust, and the vibrational energy makes us a more compelling and empowered communicator.

Our 5th Ritual simply says Take My Time. In all communication, it is never how fast, but rather how effective. In this day and age as vocal communicators we tend to stream data, just as we do when we send texts and emails. But here, when we take our time, we create the opportunity to reacquaint our Selves with our birthright—to never present, but to be who we are truly capable of being.

Our 6th Ritual is where I strive to live each and every day: Pay Attention/Deeper Listening. In the 6th Ritual for me personally, it is such a vibrant, almost holy space within my Self, where, in my Deeper Listening, I engage in an inner dialog between Source/Self. It is a conversation that only I am privy to and staying attuned with this, not simply in my solitudinal time every morning, but actively as best I can in my daily life. Through this, I feel very much at one with Source. Hoping that you can imagine, when you access this within your Self,  you will feel so much more emboldened and empowered.

The 7th Ritual: Be My Self is where everything comes together. This is where our sovereign birthright becomes our new reality.  

Before closing, I digress for just a moment. Hanukkah is the festival of Lights and for the first time in 20 years, the first night of Hanukkah this year coincided with Christmas. Hanukkah occurs during the darkest time of the year. Also as I said at the outset this is the darkest time for all of us around the globe—politically and socially.

Hanukkah as with Vocal Awareness is also a spiritual metaphor. Hanukkah creates an opportunity to celebrate an ancient tradition and miracle with the lighting of ritual candles for 8 nights. In turn, Vocal Awareness helps us find our inner light to enlighten not only our own path but to also illuminate the path for others.

This New Year 2025, please join me and thousands of others who have trained in Vocal Awareness over the years, to dedicate your Self/your Voice for good.

Begin by using your Voice to heal your Self, and empower your Self.  This year dedicate your Self to communicate in Conscious Awareness using the Rituals I have introduced. In turn this will enable you to speak authentically, authoritatively, confidently, and inspirationally with kindness and respect for your Self and others. As the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who created Transcendental Meditation said at a lecture I attended over 50 years ago, “I want to have a billion meditators on the planet to shift the vibration of the planet.” Imagine—if we had a billion people energetically, synchronistically embodying the integrity of their personal sovereignty—what this might do to shift the vibration of the planet for good.

This may seem fanciful, but imagine if it were not.

This is OUR TIME to step into the goodness of what is truly possible.

Use this time to convey kindness and civility, to Allow A Conscious Loving Breath while living in the 7 Rituals of Vocal Awareness.

With my birthday on January 23rd, I turn 79 and begin my 61st year of teaching. Please join me by bringing the power of all that is possible through you to enlighten millions of others to do the same. We cannot wait.  Let us be steadfast in designing the world we deserve! 

Most Sincerely, 

Arthur Samuel Joseph, M.A.

Founder of Vocal Awareness™

President, Vocal Awareness Institute, Inc.

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