12 Jan Your Words Have Power

By Tiffany Rucker, MBA

Did you know that your words are strong enough to move mountains? Maybe not a mountain in the physical sense, but the mountains of your life can be conquered—or not—depending on your word choice.

There’s a saying I often heard while growing up: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

I’m sure whoever came up with this witty comeback had great intentions, but, although clever, it is untrue. Words can hurt worse than broken bones.

Bones heal over time and return to their regular function, but the memory of what someone said to or about you can stay with you forever—and burn white-hot on each remembering.

Now consider what happens when you talk negatively to yourself! Negative self-talk replays over and over and over again in your mind.

Have you ever been asleep and replayed an entire negative conversation in your mind? The words spoken have etched into your brain and are now festering inside your memory bank.

Now think about a positive conversation that you had; these usually do not replay as often and are generally quieted by the negative.

The problem is that we give too much power to negativity. And if we’re not careful, negative words can take over our entire life.

So make a conscious effort to speak to yourself positively; it’s one of the most essential pieces of a great self-care routine and positivity habit.

You believe what you frequently hear, so speak positivity to yourself.

The same is true about what you say to others. Once your words are spoken, you cannot take them back. You can apologize and attempt to babble more positive words towards that person, but the negative words you spewed out initially are etched in their memory.

Words have the power to make or break a situation—and a person.

Just think about a time that you were in a crisis and needed help. Help can come in many different forms, but the way we speak about our situation determines the type of help we receive. If you’ve already convinced yourself that you are not worthy, you are less likely to ask for help. If you tell yourself that you will overcome, you’re more likely to ask for help and pay it forward. It’s that simple.

Whenever you face obstacles, tell yourself how you plan to overcome them instead of dwelling on the problem.

Anything that you want, you can have. But first, you must speak it into your life. As you begin to put positive words and thoughts and actions into the atmosphere, you will attract more positivity.

As you begin to focus your words on the positive, you may notice that the people in your circle may change. The negative speakers of your life will no longer find you fun or interesting, which is exactly what you want. Do not be afraid to let go of the people that are verbally negative towards you. Surround yourself, instead, with the positive, and the universe will adjust your life accordingly.

Your words have power. Use them wisely.

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