The Power of Words

If you’ve been reading my blog then you know that I believe strongly in the power of our words, that we speak to each other and to ourselves.

The power of kind and encouraging words can change someone’s attitude, day, or life.  Words give life to our feelings and emotions, they give life to details of our day, and they are a tool for documenting a story or event.  They are the only thing I can think of that are full of immortal potential.  The spoken word can last a lifetime – words of love, or words of hate can replay in someone’s heart and mind indefinitely.  Written words can live forever.

Nothing impresses this on me more than reading old, historical diary entries, or seeing writings from ancient times, that we don’t even understand anymore.  These words, when protected, will survive for many future generations, and possibly forever.

Today, though, I want you to think about specific words, the ones that you say regularly to yourself.  Are the things you say and think to yourself kind?  Positive?  Uplifting and supportive?  Are you telling yourself how awesome you are?  Congratulating yourself on how well you did on that test, that presentation, or that goal you met?  Or, are you being your own worst enemy and constantly berating yourself in your mind?

I’m not sure exactly why we self-sabotage like this, and I’m not a psychoanalyst or scientist, but there are a ton of examples as to what happens to living things when they are spoken to badly, when they are bombarded with words of hate and disgust and anger.  Have you seen this rice experiment where you speak negatively to one jar of rice and it turns black and moldy, while the rice that you speak positivity to remains fresh?

If we know that words of anger and hatred have a visible and real effect that causes mold and grime (physically and spiritually), we should do our best to eliminate them from our repertoire.  Especially when speaking to ourselves.

We have so much to deal with from outside input, we need to get on our own team, be our own best friend and cheerleader, and constantly fight the negative with kind and supportive words of self-talk.  Sure, we screw up sometimes.  But, if your best friend came to you and said, I screwed up, wouldn’t you say, hey it’s cool, it happens, how can I help?

Words are SO powerful.  They can be used for good, or for evil.  They have an actual physical impact and lasting effect on our bodies, minds, and souls.  I encourage you to listen to your own personal dialogue more carefully the next few days, and see where you can improve on telling yourself how awesome you are.  Because you are!  You’re an amazing person full of unlimited potential.

We’re all just trying to figure out this life day by day.  Your positive words will have a positive impact on your overall success.  And, when you practice being kind to yourself, that kindness will naturally spill out to other areas of your life, and you’ll start spreading kindness to others, too.

“Thoughts become things.  Choose the good ones.”  – Mike Dooley

“Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.”  – Mahatma Gandhi