"Watch your manner of speech if you wish to develop a peaceful state of mind. Start each day by affirming peaceful, contented and happy attitudes and your days will tend to be pleasant and successful."
-- Norman Vincent Peale
Many people think they know, but really do not understand what affirmations are. When I'm complaining about anything for whatever reason, that is an affirmation. If I say, "this is going to be a 12-hour day and I'm running low on energy and I'll be dragging by the time it's over," that is an affirmation. If I say, "I feel great today and I am looking forward to each and every experience I find today," that is an affirmation. Which do you think brings results? Both. Indeed, they will bring different results, but results nonetheless. The question is, which results do we want? To be tired and frustrated, or excited and optimistic? They are equally in our power.
I just told my business partner this afternoon that "things are not what we want right now, but the interesting thing is that I am awash with optimism! I am absolutely excited about what is yet to come!" He agreed that he had the same thoughts. We get to choose how we are going to feel and we can have bombs going off all around us and choose to look forward with optimism.
When people ask me, "how are you?" I always say something like, "awesome!" or "I'm over the edge with excitement!" Words have a lot of power and choosing the ones that empower you rather than disempower you is worth the effort.
I absolutely love Anthony Robbins book, Awaken the Giant Within. In that book, he has a list of empowering and disempowering words and phrases. Each have a tendency to achieve a different feeling or attitude. For example, rather than saying, "I'm pissed at so and so for doing that!," instead you could say, "I'm a little bit tinkled about that person's choice of actions." Pissed and tinkled have a completely different sound and feel. I'm choosing tinkled because it serves me better. Being pissed doesn't serve me, it distracts me.
Tony has several pages of word and phrase transformations on pages 226-231 of his book, such as changing from disgusted to surprised, or overwhelmed to maximized, or anxious to expectant, or terrible to different. Then he suggests we even pump up the positive words and phrases like from comfortable to smashing, energized to turbo-charged, good to vibrant, pretty good to coolamundo, strong to invincible. These small changes are extremely powerful.
Words, words, just a bunch of words. What does it matter? What we say to ourselves matters so much because it molds us into who we are. Look around you at someone you know who is an angry person. Listen to the words and phrases they use. It is really clear where they are and who they are. Maybe you also know someone who is generally happy and upbeat. Listen to the words and phrases they speak. I'm sure there is a dramatic difference.
Choosing different words and phrases will be hard at first, but with practice it will be a good deal of fun. Begin today. Pay attention to what you say and how you feel. Start by finding some different words and try them out. I think you'll be amazed how much of a change it will create in you. I only know that because of what it did for me.
I Will Pay Attention To What I Say Aloud.
Spread Some Joy Today--Share some of your new found responses with others today! Watch their faces. Feel the fun of it. Feel yourself feeling good!
No comments:
Post a Comment