The power of language
Language is a means of understanding our own world and interacting with it, words are a transparent glimpse into what drives our behaviour and what our beliefs look like, it is a cultural, social and psychological phenomenon. We all know words have a lot of power, their power is derived from the emotions that are attached to them, whether spoken, thought, read or heard.
So it makes sense that our choice of words, often unconscious, are creating our blueprint of what our world looks like and how existing in it feels like. Neurologically speaking, all statements carry a belief with them, and the more you speak unconscious or negative beliefs woven into your sentences you are repeatedly wiring the neurons of your brain to know that that’s what this thing means. That can become very hard to undo and unlearn.
Everything mentioned in this article is articulate to inner and outer talk, the way we speak about and to ourselves and what we say to others. The words we pick in all of these determine what we are teaching ourselves to believe and how we might react and orientate in the world because of those beliefs. One of the biggest areas language silently feeds off is self-esteem. Consider the simple statement “oh I’m only a… [insert any job here]” you may call it modesty in the moment however that can be a very belittling message to send yourself, and really show up in your opinions about yourself. We see this often in how we negatively but casually talk about ourselves, it’s highly impactful and not something to make a habit out of. Below is a small list of words to watch for in our self-talk and switch out.
Just – just (no pun intended) get rid of this word
Only – same with this one
Who I want to be – who I am
I wish – I will
I cant – how could i…
I have to – I am going to or I’m choosing too
give the switches a try and just notice how different they feel in your mood and body when you say them.
And finally, the language of thought. Pay close attention to your wondering mind, the dialogue of your thoughts might just tell you a lot about yourself and maybe some of your blind spots. Now, according to studies, the amount our inner monologue goes is equivalent to speaking 4’000 words a minute, we’re talking to ourselves all the time. Exhausting. So while it is nearly impossible to monitor every bit of dialogue that passes through your mind, just try your best, and watch for rumination, reoccurring thoughts and very direct statements. If and when these things do pop up, I invite you to get curious and inspect why this might of entered your mind in the way it did and what might be the deeper meaning behind it. Your body is all-wise and knows best, but we often speak or act over it and can’t hear it, so get quiet and try to listen.
“Change one word and you change your emotional, psychological, and even physical response to a situation”. Carolyn Myss
