We were 5 people at this meeting, including a graduate student from La Salle. We had free pizza from Giovanni’s.
We covered several topics around volunteer stuttering and disclosing. Each of us shared experiences on how we do it and how frequently. It is not always easy to disclose to others about our stutter. Some people are very direct, others mention stuttering in a more indirect way, such as talking about the NSA, making a joke, or referring to a movie about stuttering. However you do it, it something very personal and unique to each individual.
We talked about anticipating success, instead of failure. It is a completely different mindset from what we are normally used to. We tend to be afraid of the words that we cannot say or the sounds that are difficult to say. When we see them coming, we get anxious because we struggle to say them. However, we forget that despite being difficult, we eventually can say them. But we only remember the bad part of the experience, the struggle and the shame. We don’t think about the other side of the experience, the part where we finally say it. We need to focus on the success and anticipate it. If you anticipate success, you will be more likely to recall that feeling and get confidence in what you are saying and how you say it.