Hi stranger. If you feel hopeless, if you are close to giving up and just want to admit that you will have to play it small, be okay with living a life under your means. That you simply have to settle for less, then STOP because THIS STORY IS FOR YOU!!!
My name is Dennis. I live in Germany. I stuttered for as long as I can remember (almost 40 years). And I always thought, Why me“? I could do so much good in the world… I could change the world (little by little), I could help people, I could become someone GREAT…Only, but only if I wouldn’t stutter.
I became a Life Coach by studying with Tony Robbins and Cloé Madanes. Tony says: Suffer occurs when you accept the limiting belief that you have no control over your life“. NAILED IT! That was exactly how I felt my whole life about stuttering. I had no control.
I remember back when I was a young adult. My girlfriend at that time was in Israel for six months for an internship. She lived in a shared apartment and when I wanted to call her to talk to her (me being in Germany) her roommate would pick up the phone. My heart was beating up to my throat and I started: „Can I please talk to A…, A…, A… …“
I couldn’t spit it out; so, I simply hang up. I couldn’t say her name. Anika. It was one of the most humiliating things in my life (among so many others).
My parents tried so many things to help me. They took me to a psychologist (so I got the feeling something could be wrong with me), and to many speech therapists. I remember a particular one they took me to when I was 14 years old. When she heard that I came for help with stuttering she shook her head and said„ “Oh gosh, stuttering is tough to treat and you are already so old…!“ (I was 14 years old!!!). She crushed my last hope.
And that is exactly what I told my whole life: stuttering is NOT curable. So I started to believe that. But I never really gave up.
Every now and then I would search the web for a „stuttering cure and then, one day I found a video of a very kind man, Lee Lovett. A man that used to stutter badly – and overcame it. He found ways to maneuver your way around stuttering. He did this for long enough for his brain to realize that he actually didn’t have to stutter. Till he finally FORGOT to stutter. And then and there he said it: No one has to stutter! Everybody can overcome stuttering!” Over the years, he has helped hundreds stop stuttering; he released a book, “Stuttering Stories with Happy Endings: 101 Real Life Stories”. Many of the stories have supporting videos. He also posted over 200 of these stories in a Stutterers’ Speech Hall of Fame which he created (PWSSs Archive – Speech Anxiety Anonymous). Later, he and some of his self-cured PWS students created a charity (World Stop Stuttering Association, https://worldstopstuttering.org/) to help stutterers stop stuttering.
I was HOOKED. Not only by Coach Lee’s message but also by his kind and wholehearted appearance. This was the first time I heard from Coach Lee Lovett and his method of Neuroplasticity to overcome stuttering. I got his book, “How to Stop Stuttering & Love Speaking” and I. LOVED IT! The methods in there were so great. I couldn’t believe it. I also joined his charity, the world’s only community of ex-stutterers, World Stop Stuttering Association/WSSA, I participated in SAM-Meetings, and got coaching. I was determined to take over CONTROL.
WSSA’s Certified Speech Coach Prathusha was – and IS – my coach and I am so thankful for everything she is doing. The way she helps me and pushes me is nothing short of phenomenal. She holds me accountable and makes sure that I make progress. Being a Life Coach myself, I already knew how valuable coaching is.
So what? So, here I am. I had my last bad incident two-three months ago. No one thinks I stutter anymore. I still have stuttering fears. And my speech might be a little sloppy here and there – but not enough to make me look like a stutterer. I’ve got it under control – and my fears are slowly dying. If you want to hear me talk, go here: https://youtu.be/pTRn3vyYsDY.
I am determined to become a fearless public speaker now and give seminars. In short: nothing but talk, talk, talk. In fact, I am now on my way to becoming a WSSA-Speech Coach as well. HOW ABOUT THAT?!?! 🙂
I will always be so, so, soooo grateful for everything that Coach Lee has done– writing books, creating thousands of coaching videos that can be seen on WSSA, and coaching PWS most days. He is still out there and helping. Every single day and building that amazing WSSA community – “the world’s only community of EX-stutterers and those fast becoming ex-stutterers”. He is a true ROLE-MODEL and I feel honored to be in touch with that man and learn from him as much as I possibly can.
I can only encourage you, dear reader, to take the first step.
This program WORKS!
Will it be easy? No.
Will somebody give you a magic pill and your speech problems will disappear? No.
You will have to travel that road by yourself.
But this community will give you the roadmap. So you don’t get lost.
You’ll make friends there and enjoy lots of virtual hangouts.
Everyone there will support you, they will guide you, they will even be pushing you.
You are not alone. I am one of them now. We are here with you.
I am looking forward to meeting you, dear reader, in the near future.
Till then, live with PASSION and take control of your speech and life!
Dennis, Germany, May 2023