To read the first piece in this two-part series on the impact of language, vocabulary and word choice in every area of our lives, click here.
I consciously and continually expand my vocabulary to build a bank of powerful words.
When I hear myself using language that is not moving me towards what I want, I become a word hunter and look for alternatives to replace my negative and stuck state phrasing.
You can do this when you are reading a book. For example, if some words really resonate with me or light me up, I start to collect these words in a little notepad.
Every word has a different meaning to all of us. Some words evoke a picture. Others, a strong feeling. The point here is to be conscious of what the word actually evokes and how it makes you feel.
Words have an inherent power. A force capable of lighting one’s path and horizons.
Used correctly and positively, words are the first building blocks for success and inner peace. Used incorrectly and negatively, they are capable of undermining even the best intentions, famous words written by Stephen Covey.
Words spoken with feeling and specificity manifest
Stop staying ‘I wish’ and ‘I want’.
‘I wish I could have more money.’
‘I wish I could have a better job.’
‘I wish I could have a better relationship.’
Wishing is wishing your life away. It’s giving your power away to something external of you.
A perfect example is all of these people playing Tattslotto, ‘wishing’ that they are going to win. The odds of winning Tattslotto is 1 in 3,838,380.
Why give your power away by ‘wishing’, when you have all the resources to create it yourself?
Now, let’s look at the word ‘want’.
It’s especially relevant in the context of setting goals. If you have current goals, look at the language you are using. You might be surprised to find that some of those very words are delaying your progress.
Every time I am facilitating a class and we get to the part where we are creating the goal, I am always conscious about the words they use. As soon as I hear the word ‘want’ – like ‘I want to be a leader of a team’ or ‘I want a pay increase’ – I stop them.
If you listen carefully to the word itself, it’s as if you are implying that you are lacking whatever it is that you are asking. The word ‘want’ indicates that the very thing you are wanting is absent or not present in your life.
Therefore, what kind of energy do you think you are vibrating or attracting then?
Instead, use the words ‘I am’ and ‘I attract’. Replace them in some of the above sentences and see how they feel now.
‘I am the leader of a team.’
‘I attract a pay increase.’
Different, right?
You can awaken your internal guidance system
When you speak, get into your heart space. What does it feel like?
Does the word move you towards what you want? Or away from what you want?
‘I don’t want to be working these crazy hours!’
vs
‘I am shifting my focus to self-care and how I can achieve a healthier work/life balance.’
‘I don’t want to be in this relationship!’
vs
‘I am prioritising my emotional health and re-evaluating my relationship.’
‘I will never do that again!’
vs
‘I have learned a valuable life lesson from this experience.’
The examples are endless, but they all have one thing in common. The first uses ‘moving away’ language that attracts more negativity, while the second uses ‘moving towards’ language that manifests positivity.
You want your words to move you … Forward.
You want your words to inspire you and motivate action.
Words are not isolated
Individuals who use moving away language want to avoid a certain situation. They don’t want to experience loss or discomfort. They are moving away from pain, motivated by avoiding pain. These individuals will focus on telling you what they don’t want.
Individuals who use moving towards language always strive to achieve an outcome. They want to experience fulfilment and accomplishment. They are moving towards pleasure, motivated by gaining pleasure. These individuals will focus on telling you what they do want.
Which type of individual will you be?
Move towards happiness with words
You can use language to give a positive upgrade to your self-esteem, health, finances, family life and any other area of your life where you use language to produce results. It is a universal tool for creating the small steps necessary for major change.
All you have to do is be fully present in your speaking.
Nothing is impossible. The word itself says, ‘I’m possible’.
In these times of uncertainty, the word that comes to mind for us all is ‘faith’.
