Thank you for this interesting question, Tate!

My perspective on stuttering has dramatically shifted over the years.

There have been two important breakthroughs during my stuttering journey, that led me into different perspectives. In some ways they may seem to be polar opposites, but in other ways the first one helped me indirectly into the second one.

The first occurred in the mid-1980’s, when I was 30 years old. I attended the Hollins Communications Research Institute in Roanoke, Virginia, to learn the Precision Fluency Shaping Program. (The institute and the program no longer exist.)
After three months of daily intensive practicing of these fluency techniques, I achieved what I considered to be a milestone victory at the time. For the first time in my life, I was totally fluent in all situations!
Now I knew that fluency was within my grasp, and I had the power to achieve consistent fluency.

I soon realized that maintenance of consistent fluency, for me, required daily intensive practicing of breathing and speaking exercises, and careful monitoring of my techniques in all conversations. That was tough, but I managed it for many extended periods (sometimes lasting for weeks, sometimes lasting for months).

I advocated fluency shaping for many years to others who stutter. I enjoyed showing others that I could jndeed speak very fluently (if my techniques were practiced enough). It was most enjoyable to demonstrate how fluent and natural my speech sounded (again, if my techniques were practiced enough).
To those who stutter who expressed a different view, I had a saying: “But really, fluency is the name of the game.”

However, my many periods of consistent fluency all ended in eventual relapse. I just didn’t have the time, or the perpetual motivation, to continue with my intensive daily practice sessions. After these relapses occurred, for years, I took fluency refresher after fluency refresher (these were shorter versions of the main program), and always managed to bring consistent fluency back into my life. But each time, the fluency collapsed eventually.
Fluency maintenance for me required really exhausting work and concentration – all those daily practice exercises, and monitoting of all conversations. It was just too much.

Finally – after many years – I just decided this wasn’t for me. I started to realize that the goal of maintaining total consistent fluency just wasn’t worth all those enormous efforts. And I started to realize that there was much more to life than to be obsessed with maintaining fluency of speech.

This led to the second big breakthrough, which occurred more than 25 years ago, when I was in my later 40’s. It was important for me to realize that achieving total fluency was very possible for me, if I REALLY wanted it badly enough, and if I really thought fluency was essential to a happy life.
But I came to the realization that it really wasn’t.

I decided to simply accept myself calmly and peacefully as a person who just happens to stutter, who happens to have a speech difference.
I decided to get rid of my obsession to transform myself into a Fluent Person, into someone who always would speak with the greatest of fluency.

Why indeed is fluency so necessary in life?
I could just be who I was, who I am, and who I will continue to be.
I’m a person who happens to stutter. I speak differently. So what?
Life became so much happier for me, and so much less stressful, when I finally achieved this realization and acceptance.

In retrospect it was important to me to understand that fluency was within my grasp if I really wanted it, and if I really wanted to work hard for it.
And that understanding helped me in my newer journey of acceptance. Yes – I can have it if I REALLY want it. But my life is fine and happy as it is. And that’s perfectly okay with me.

I hope this has been helpful.
Best wishes for a successful career!
– Paul