Understanding Your Inner Wiring to Accelerate Your Opera Journey

Greetings to all of you in the AriaReady community. Can you believe we are entering June (the “hump” month), which puts us at the halfway point for this year?

Are you halfway to your 2025 goals?

We had another blog planned for this month, but I have spoken or texted with so many of you who have read our recent posts, especially the May blog showing the typical stages of the American opera singer's career. They all had a similar theme, so I decided to talk about the elephant in the room.

It’s human nature to think our story is different. Sure, there are constants and usuals within any career path. Still, when we get right down to the nitty gritty of doing the work necessary to advance your career, we often feel that our specific example is unique. We're the exception. And most of the time, what we think is the special condition that makes our story different is how we respond to change, opportunity, or stress.

Essentially, how we are wired, so let’s look a little deeper into just how our internal wiring impacts what, how, and why we do the things we do.

The analogy I’m going to use for this is as basic as I can get. Are you left-handed or right-handed? Your mind’s preference for “handedness” is simply a result of genetic wiring, and so are most of the other systems we use to get through our day.

In Your Brain Are You Left-Handed or Right-Handed...? Understanding Your Inner Wiring

Just like some people are naturally left-handed and others are right-handed, we are all wired differently on the inside. There’s no right or wrong, better or worse; it’s simply a matter of natural preference. Operating contrary to this natural wiring can feel awkward and unproductive. Recognizing your inherent "wiring" and understanding it in others is incredibly valuable to your relationships.

The Aria Ready process describes this internal wiring system as patterns and traits that constitute your holistic system of being, who you are from the inside out.

I get it, most of your systems are not as obvious as “handedness,” but knowing your natural preferences allows you to consciously embrace and use them as tools. Can you imagine if you didn’t know which hand was the one your brain wanted you to use?

Let me suggest tonight, before going to bed, you use your non-dominant hand to brush your teeth: from grabbing the tube of toothpaste to putting it back where it belongs. Before you go to sleep, think about that exercise and remember how awkward it felt to work at odds with your nature. Ask yourself, “Did I feel my teeth were as clean as usual?” Can you imagine the drama that would occur if you tried that while doing something that required motivation, reason, or how you dealt with time?

Think of these systems as different ways your brain is "handed":

• Motivation: Are you driven by the "Carrot" (moving toward something) or the "Stick" (moving away from something)? You likely prefer to use one system more than the other, even though you’ll use both at various times. As Carol notes, and neuroscience confirms, most people, most of the time, lean towards the "Stick" or "away from" system.
• Activators: Do you lean "Internal" or "External" when making decisions or taking action? Internal Activators use their own standards, while External Activators rely primarily on outside sources and feedback.
• How You Reason: Do you prefer "Options" or "Procedures"? "Options people are motivated by possibilities and doing things differently, while Procedures people like a beginning, middle, and end, andare interested in how something is done.
• Inner Language Systems: Are you primarily "Visual," "Auditory," or "Kinesthetic"? Your primary language is how you best process and communicate information. It’s the language you use when you talk to yourself. While we use all three, one is primary and accesses your thinking. Most people are Visual BTW. Understanding someone's preferred system helps communication and improves rapport.
• Inner Timelines: Are you "Inside Time" or "Outside Time"? Inside Time means you are associated with the "now", like being in the backseat of a car with a clear and immediate view: If the driver slams on the brakes, you lunge forward! Outside Time means seeing the timeline from a distance, viewing the "car skid to a stop," and helping you deal with facts rather than getting caught in emotions.

Understanding which patterns and traits you “automatically” default to is key. It’s great when they result in what you wanted or hoped for. But not so much when they fall short, or worse yet, they burn a bridge, or someone loses trust in you.

This self-knowledge makes you more comfortable, resourceful, and effective when it works. It also gives you the tools to understand how to shift from “auto-pilot” to a better alternative when it doesn’t work. It empowers you to make conscious choices about your career path. Plus, being able to recognize these patterns in others enhances both communication and relationships.

Knowing "how you are wired" strengthens your Personal Brand. Just as a left-handed person benefits from using tools and systems designed for their dominant hand, understanding your natural wiring helps you find the best strategies for you, allowing you to take action rather than just react.

Knowing who you are and how you’re wired is fundamental to your mental health!

Thank you for being a valued member of the AriaReady community. If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends and students. If you received it from someone else, you can subscribe on our website to receive future updates directly. We welcome your thoughts—whether challenges you’re facing, opportunities you’re excited about, or questions that arise—so please leave a comment below or reach out to me personally to share your thoughts.

Avanti,

DNA