Choose Your Words Carefully

A Closer Look At Your Words

Let's take a look at your life for a moment. Are there any areas where you’ve been using phrases like “I can’t,” “I’m no good at _____” and “It’s impossible”? We all know people who make statements like these

• I can’t draw.

• I’m no good at math.

• I can’t remember names.

• It’s impossible for me to make that kind of money.

When you make these comments day in and day out for 10, 20 or 30 years, you’re programming your mind for failure! It all comes back to your attitude. Every one of these examples reflects a negative attitude. And if you see the world through a smudged window, you’re going to use negative language and get disappointing results.

Choose words that will point you in the direction of your goals. — Jeff Keller

Fortunately, you can control your words which means that you have the ability to build a positive belief system … and to produce the results you want. The first step is awareness. Let’s examine the phrases you’ve been using in four key areas of your life—relationships, finances, career and health.

1. Relationships

Do you say things like “All the good men (or women) are taken!” or “People are always taking advantage of me!” If you do, you’re literally programming yourself for unhappy relationships. Your mind hears every word you speak and it sets out to prove you right. With regard to our above examples, your mind will see to it that you attract only those persons who will disappoint you or take advantage of you. Is this what you want? If not, stop repeating (and causing your mind to focus on) such negative statements!

2. Finances

What words do you use on a regular basis to describe your current financial situation and your prospects for the future? Phrases such as “I’m always in debt,” “The economy is lousy” or “No one is buying” work against you. Far better to choose language which reaffirms prosperity and better economic times. Of course, you won’t necessarily have abundant wealth within a few days after changing the way you speak. But the physical conditions can change only after your beliefs have altered. Clearing up your language is an important first step!

After all, the people with wealth in this world didn’t get that way by moaning about being in poverty. And the people who always talk about a lack of money generally don’t accumulate much of it.

3. Career

If I were to ask you about your career prospects over the next five to 10 years, how would you respond? Be honest. Would you say that things will probably remain the same as they are now? Or would you describe a higher position with more challenges, more responsibilities and increased financial rewards? If you respond “I don’t know where I’m going in my career,” chances are not much will change. Your language reflects your lack of vision and direction. If, on the other hand, you have a clear goal which you can (and do) articulate fairly often—even if only to yourself—you stand an excellent chance of reaching that goal.

The same, of course, holds true if you have your own business. Do you use language that is consistent with the growth of your business? Or do you constantly talk about how you’ll never get to the next level?

4. Health

Without question, our words have a profound impact on our health. For example, imagine that a group of us sat down to what seemed to be a perfectly wholesome and delicious meal. Then, two hours later I called and told you that every person who ate with us had been rushed to the hospital and treated for food poisoning! Suppose that you felt perfectly fine before I called. How would you react after hearing my information?

Most likely, you’d clutch your stomach, get pale and feel very ill. Why? Because my words instilled a belief in you which, in turn, your body started acting upon. This same bodily reaction would have occurred even if I was playing a cruel joke and was lying about the whole situation! Your body responds to words it hears you and other people say. That’s why it makes absolutely no sense to keep repeating that you have “chronic back pain that will never go away” or that you get “three or four bad colds every year.” By uttering these statements, you are actually instructing your body to manifest pain and disease!

Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not suggesting that you deny pain or disease—or that you can overcome any illness—but there’s certainly nothing to be gained (and much harm that can flow) from using language that reinforces suffering and incurability.