“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me”

 That may be a helpful saying for a child who has just been teased by friends, but as adults we can do a lot of harm with what we say to ourselves.  Our thoughts and the words we use to communicate them define our experience, determine our success and design our life.

Understanding the power of our words starts with awareness. 

Your subconscious mind does NOT have a sense of humor .  It takes everything you say to yourself literally, and those comments repeated over time can have a long-lasting impact on your life.  Imagine your words are like magnets and once you have said them you unconsciously seeking things that confirm that those words are true.  The crazy thing is that whether the words are empowering or not, when we start looking for evidence, we usually find it!

What are you creating with your words today – this week – this year?

Since you usually find the evidence you’re looking for, it’s wise to notice what you’re looking for.

Recently on a call with my editor I mentioned I would be “pounding out” several blogs over the weekend.  Since grade school I have had the belief that writing is hard for me.  I can still visualize the bold RED corrections covering stories that I worked so hard to create, and the frustration at not getting better.  I thought this painful experience was “handled”; put behind me, so that it wouldn’t interfere with my writing today.  Not the case!  Using the phrase “pounding out” indicated I was still seeking proof that the decades-old story was true, and provided insight into what my weekend writing would be like.  It’s not accidental that I used the word “pounding”; defined as ‘repeated or heavy striking or hitting’.  Subconsciously I wasn’t preparing for this to be easy, but rather getting ready for a repeat of my grade school experience.

What are you saying that invites the past to repeat itself?

Have you ever found yourself quietly saying things to yourself that are hurtful to you?

Things that might sound pretty innocent like, “what’s wrong with me?” or “It’s so HARD” or “this drives me crazy”.   You know you don’t really mean it, but what if even a small part of you thinks you do?  Would it be worth taking that risk?  If you notice that you have been saying some less-than-kind things to yourself, try replacing those statements with what you really want.   Anytime you notice, you can replace the undesired statement with words that create what you desire.  At first it’s a little odd to interrupt yourself this way, but the rewards are worth it.

That day on the phone with my editor, once I noticed, I replaced “pounding out” with what I really wanted – “creatively sharing my thoughts in writing”, and that is what I got!  And you can too.  What can you do and SAY today to empower your words?