I am sure we all heard the little rhyme when we were children, which said “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me”. Nothing could be further from the truth, words have incredible power and can either fill us with hope and encouragement or if we allow, can break our spirits and dash our hopes and dreams. Words do indeed have incredible power and when used properly can be incredible tools, which can help you along the road to sustainable long term success.
The words spoken by great orators, like Winston Churchill, who buoyed the hopes of an entire nation, giving them strength and the will to overcome the tyranny of a hostile nation intent on destroying them, show the great power to be found in words. Who can ever forget the impassioned pleas of Martin Luther King, as he spoke to a nation about injustice; his powerful words changed the course of history and allowed us all to live a better future.
It is not only spoken words, but written words, which also carry incredible power. The liberty and social justice, of an entire nation is entrenched in the American Bill of Rights and the declaration of Independence. Words do indeed possess far more power than any stick or stone, so be prudent with the words you speak and write as they are loaded with far more power than you can imagine.
The simple sayings that we often bandy about with abandon, instil really powerful beliefs in our minds. Simple little sayings like “Ignorance is Bliss” Create the belief that we should not have enquiring minds and not commit to on-going growth and development. This is reinforced by other silly belief entrenching sayings like “What you don’t know won’t hurt you”. These little sayings seem unimportant, but the beliefs they entrench in our subconscious mind is most certainly real. These little sayings, become part of our habit set as we repeat them unconsciously without even thinking about it.
I want you to change these two sayings and for you to learn this new way of thinking. “Ignorance is most certainly not bliss, consistently learning and applying knowledge is bliss”. “What you don’t know WILL hurt you” Most of us are well down the path to uncovering the success we deserve and desire and all that is required to bring this success into our experience, is a few small shifts to the way we do things. As you gradually change your subconscious programing and replace those negative dream killing thoughts, by changing the words you use to program your mind, you immediately unlock the path to live your unlimited potential.
Charles Osgood said it so well when he said “Compared to the spoken word, a picture is a pitiful thing indeed” Imagine the power found in the words expressed by a father, after attending a three day seminar, in which he stands up and for the first time, tells his teenage son that he loves him and is proud of him. Can you imagine the joyous tear filled connection this father and son would experience as a result of those few words? Our words do indeed possess unlimited power, choose yours very wisely from this moment on.
A few subtle changes in the way we say things can completely change their meaning and the way people respond to us. What if we said to our spouse “What is wrong with you” when what we really meant to say “Are you OK” The first confrontational way of asking the same question, is filled with insinuation and would probably get a curt response, whilst the second option would be seen to show real concern and caring. How about a service representative who can respond to a question with either the answer “I will have to get back to you”, which means little, vs. offering a more friendly response like “I will be very happy to get back to you with the right answer today” These very subtle differences, will leave your customers in two very different emotive states.
Words do indeed possess unbelievable power; changing only a few words in a sentence can completely change the meaning and emotion associated with any words. How about if you overheard someone describing someone like this, “she is a really intelligent and beautiful lady, but she wears glasses” The first part of the sentence would create a really positive picture in your mind, only to be destroyed by the last few words in the sentence.
As you choose your words in future, remember that by changing only a few words in a sentence, you can change people’s thoughts. These thoughts, which you are helping to mould and form, result in either positive or negative action, so is it not wise to ensure that you choose you words very wisely. Speak the right words, which produce the right action and you will eventually start to see the right results in your life.
Author: Andrew Horton Time Management Training
No comments:
Post a Comment