You Are What You Speak

Even the quietest among us speak many words every day. Each one of those words has meaning. How often do you stop to consider that meaning?

If your friends, neighbors, or co-workers were asked to describe you briefly, what would they say? That you were “nice,” “kind,” “generous?” Maybe “rude,” “messy,” or “thoughtless?” What comes to mind when we hear those words? Each one of them is a snapshot of who we are as people. But we don’t get there without lots of words of our own.

Most of what we say, as well as think, the “little voices” in our mind, is done without much thinking. It’s easy to get into a rut and stay there. That’s how habits are formed. It’s also how we succeed or fail. If we start telling ourselves that we are worthless, unlovable, or stupid, we’ll start believing it. Others will too!

Quite simply, what you say is the single biggest factor that determines your happiness ~ Irwin Katsof

The same is true if we hear positive words and repeat them. If you’ve ever seen mantras being practiced, this is what they are for. They’re a way for us to re-program our brain into new and better ways of thinking.

Much like the word spells used by magicians; our own words can have “magical” effects. So many of us in the modern world are unhappy with the directions our lives have taken: our relationships, our jobs, our families, and our bodies suffer accordingly. But we have the power, the “magic wand” as it were, to change all of this. It doesn’t involve large amounts of money or trips to see some expert or specialist. Our own words are the power.

Start listening to the words you use every day, both aloud and internally. Are they positive or negative? When it comes to food, we are what we eat. The same applies to our words. If we use negative words, we will achieve negative results.

Change this a little at a time. If you say something negative, counteract it with something positive. “I am a bad housekeeper” might become “I have the opportunity to clean up my home and reinvent it,” for example. Keep a small notebook with you to write down all the times you think or speak negatively. So many of us do this without even thinking. Science tells us it takes at least thirty days to re-program old habits. Why not get started right away?

You can create the energy to turn your dreams into reality by knowing what to say when you talk to yourself ~ Shad Helmstetter

Our words also impact others. Every interaction is like the stone thrown into a pond which ripples outward. If we are positive and proactive in our language, it will start to impact those around us. Who wants to surround herself with negativity?

As we start to practice our words, and be mindful of them, chances are we’ll start to see more opportunity, such as broadening our circle of friends, finding new relationships, or advancing our careers.

Think of words as building blocks, like the cells of our bodies. If they are not healthy, then the entire body cannot be. We all have the power to choose the words we use, and whether or not to listen to our internal critic. It’s up to us to use that power to its maximum potential.