The Power of Words
Recently, my friend and I were talking about the power of words. How they can make or break us, give us joy or create pain and doubt. Words can lift us up or tear us down. They can cause damage that lasts a lifetime or change the trajectory of our life for the better. Words can shape our beliefs, drive our behavior, and create our world whether they are true or not. Sometimes it’s hard to separate fact from fiction. Simply stated, words hold so much weight.
What are the words you’ve said about yourself when you’ve been disappointed that something didn’t turn out as planned? If you made a mistake and then beat yourself up for what could have been, those words get deposited in your sense-of-self bank. If you continue to make negative deposits you sink deeper and deeper into the feelings of unworthiness and not-enoughness.
Just as damaging as things you’ve said to yourself, what are the words you’ve said to friends, family, loved ones, colleagues and even strangers that you’ve wished never escaped your mouth? Often words are communicated out of anger, frustration, jealousy or fear. Even though the weight of the words weren’t truly meant, the person they were aimed at felt every last impact as if it had been scorched into their being with laser-like accuracy.
There have been a few things said to me in my lifetime that have struck me like a cannon, caused me stress, sadness, anxiety and the feelings of unworthiness. Even though I know now they weren’t meant to cause me harm, they did. I’ve done a lot of personal work around removing them from my subconscious by knowing and practicing “I am enough.” Although, if I lose focus, I can slip back into old patterns if I allow those feelings to creep in.
When you fill yourself up with negative words, try doing the following:
Replace negative thoughts with positive ones. What went right, what did you learn, and how can you improve in the future?
Don’t dwell in the past.
Choose happiness and gratitude.
Talk gently and kindly with yourself. Create mantras like: “I am enough,” or “I’m doing the best I can in this moment.”
For negative words thrown at you try doing the following:
Don’t take it personally, the words are usually about them and not you. Try sending compassion back to them (we’ve all walked in those negative shoes).
Try to validate the person saying mean things in a gentle manner. It can quickly defuse a situation.
Practice positive self-talk to keep from taking on the person’s negative energy. Lashing back only fuels the fire.
STOP and think before you throw hurtful words at yourself or someone else.
Just as negative words can cause damage, positive words and encouragement can uplift. Think of how your body responds to affirmative feedback, kindness, and motivation. Gentle words can shift a conversation in an instant. If you speak with love, compassion, empathy, and support you’ll attract more of that goodness into your life. Words have healing powers. I invite you to examine what you’re saying to yourself and others, then feel the power of words on your heart and theirs.
xoxox…..Sheryl