This will be about as woo-woo as I have gotten in my writing thus far.
That said, I’m hopeful it’s a point that finds purchase regardless of where you are on the woo-woo spectrum.
It’s one that I have found validated from many perspectives: psychological, philosophical, and theological.
Words matter. What you say and how you say it matters. The words you speak carry an immense power.
Words may be cosmically powerful, calling forth the collective strength of the universe. Or, they may be subconscious markers, impacting our thinking and acting.
In either instance (and everywhere in between), their impact on our lives is undeniable.
In a world where we’re all looking for leverage (“the little hinge that swings the big door,” as my friend Ralph Burns says), words might be the most powerful tool to master.
Changing your language can change your life.
At a minimum, speaking differently causes you to think differently, which causes you to act differently.
You’re the first person to hear yourself speak. You’re the first person to believe your story. Every word spoken is a statement of belief.
Even when you say things you know aren’t true (“Gosh! I’m the dumbest person in the world.”) or things you may think are simply meant to be funny (“Don’t bring chocolate around me, I have no self-control.”), there’s something about the words spoken that impact you beyond face value.
The most common social exchange is: “How are you?” followed by some benign response, typically “Fine, and you?”
When I was younger, I would always have a flippant response. Someone would ask how I was, and I’d say, “Tired. Bored. Hungry.” Guess what? That ended up being true.
What I thought was a silly statement worth a quick chuckle ended up being something of a directive.
It put me in a bad mood and set the stage for how others saw me (even if they laughed at the comment). So, I did a complete 180°.
Everyone who knows me knows exactly how I respond to that question now. In fact, it’s gotten so routine that people make jokes, and some even take pride in beating me to the punch.
If you ask me how I am, you’ll immediately hear me say, “Living the dream.”
It’s not sarcasm (although the more skeptical people I meet often take it this way). It’s said as enthusiastically as I’m able to muster, given whatever the context of the day may be.
After realizing what my prior script was doing to my psyche, I started saying it as an experiment.
And here’s the fun part: It’s generally close to the absolute truth.
I have bad days, and stuff is happening in my life that I wish wasn’t there. Even so, I live as close to my dream as I would have thought possible. It’s almost unfair how good I have it.
Does this one change shift the universe’s structure and trigger a chain reaction of manifestation that ultimately attracts everything I’ve ever wanted to me in a few years?
I don’t know. Probably not. But maybe. Or, it could be the start.
A subtle, even subconscious, signal to your mind and soul that things are or will be amazing is enough to shift anyone into a more productive and functional mode.
A daily practice of saying exactly what you want is enough to at least start the ball rolling.
Or I’m a nut, and it’s all just a coincidence.
I’m looking for some magical quick fix or explanation when I’m just one of the lucky few who won the “life happens by chance and everything is chaos” lottery.
Either way, I’m happier when I use words that empower me. And, for what it’s worth, I know you are too.
That might be an exciting exercise for today if you’re up for it. Watch yourself as you traverse life and begin paying attention to the specific words you use and how they make you feel.
A tweak or two could be worth playing with.
I’d love to hear your experience! How has making a small change (like how you speak) brought about massive results?