Two Courses. One Purpose. A Weekend of Courage, Change, and Connection
This past weekend, something powerful happened across the McGuire Programme community.
One course in the UK.
One course in Ireland.
Two rooms filled with people who stutter, all stepping forward, together.
Different cities. Different backgrounds. Different stories.
One shared purpose: to take control of their speech and their lives.
The Power of Being in the Room
There is something that happens when you walk into a room full of people who understand.
People who have been there.
People who know the fear.
People who know the avoidance, the struggle, the tricks.
And also people who know what it means to push through it.
In that environment, something shifts.
You are no longer alone.
You are part of a group of like-minded people who are all working on themselves, encouraging each other, supporting each other, sharing tips, sharing insights, and most importantly…
Taking action.
Change Happens Through Action
At its core, the McGuire Programme is not about theory.
It is about doing.
Over three intensive days, members work on:
- Changing habits
- Changing reactions
- Changing mindsets
- Building new speaking behaviours
- Developing control under pressure
And this is exactly what Beyond Stuttering teaches us:
We do not wait to feel confident.
We act our way into confidence.
Every contact.
Every conversation.
Every moment of fear faced and moved through.
This is how change happens.
Changing Identity: Becoming Who You Really Are
One of the most powerful shifts we see on every course is not just in speech…
It is in identity.
For many people, the person they truly are has been hidden for years behind their stutter.
Their humour.
Their opinions.
Their personality.
Their ambition.
All there… but held back.
Over the weekend, as technique is applied and fear is faced, something begins to emerge.
The real person steps forward.
Not a different person.
The same person, finally expressed.
The Ripple Effect of Growth
What begins in a course room does not stay in that room.
Members take these changes back into their daily lives:
- Into their families
- Into their workplaces
- Into their friendships
- Into their futures
Because when you change how you speak…
you change how you show up in the world.
A Question for You
Take a moment to think about your own situation.
Where are you right now?
And where do you want to be?
- In 2 years
- In 5 years
- In 10 years
What would your life look like if fear was no longer making your decisions?
If you could express yourself fully… clearly… confidently…
What opportunities would you take?
What conversations would you have?
What risks would you be willing to face?
A Message to Your Younger Self
And here is another powerful reflection:
If you could speak to your younger self, the version of you who struggled, who avoided, who felt stuck…
What would you say?
Maybe it would be:
- “You’re not alone.”
- “There is a way forward.”
- “You are stronger than you think.”
- “Don’t wait, take action now.”
Now bring that message back to the present.
Because the person who needed that advice…
is still you.
And you still have the opportunity to act on it.
The Invitation
The people who attended these two courses this weekend made a decision.
They chose to step forward.
They chose to work on themselves.
They chose to stop waiting and start doing.
And you can make that same decision.
Final Thought
In the McGuire Programme we often say:
“Every time you speak is an opportunity to use technique.”
Every day gives you that opportunity.
Every conversation.
Every introduction.
Every phone call.
The journey is not about perfection.
It is about progress, commitment, and action.
And it starts with one decision:
👉 To step forward.
