The Power of Our Words

"There are countless realms of reality, and the words we use wrap us up nice and tightly into whichever perception we’re participating in.’"

- Jen Sincero

Have you ever listened to yourself talk? Those conversations that you have in your head or the actual words you use during those internal dialogues or monologues? Are the words positive or negative? Do they build you up and empower you or do they tear you down and deflate you?

Last month, we discussed how Words Matter, reminding us of the power and implications of our words when we communicate with and about others. This month our focus is on the words that we speak to ourselves. Our words shape our perceptions and our beliefs about ourselves, determine our behavior, and create our world.

According to Quantum physics, life is more of an energy flow than a collection of solid things. In other words, physical matter doesn’t really exist, everything is just energy in various states of vibration. What that means is if we remain aware of the emotions we feel and the energy we contain, we can make conscious choices to create the realities we desire with the words that we speak.

Words are very powerful tools, and when used properly, they can lift our energy and improve how we navigate situations and circumstances in our lives. One way of doing that is to Reframe. If we are feeling upset about how we handled a situation, we can choose to look at it from another perspective and lift our own spirits or vibration. For example, have you ever listened to several people who witnessed an accident recount a story of what happened? Often there are several interpretations all with elements of truth for each person. Reframing is a great way to give us another perspective and an opportunity to have a higher, more positive vibration.

The Japanese scientist, Masaru Emoto performed several fascinating experiments on the correlation between words and energy. In his book The Hidden Messages in Water, he describes an experiment where he poured water onto vials, a couple labeled with negative phrases like “fear” or “I hate you” and a couple with positive phrases like “Peace” or “I love you”. After 24 hours the vials with the negative phrases water were frozen, and no longer crystallized under the microscope: it yielded gray, misshaped clumps instead of beautiful lace-like crystals. Whereas the vials with the positive phrases produced gleaming, perfectly hexagonal crystals! There are actual before and after photos of these water crystals in his book.

How often do we think or say negative words about ourselves? For example, “I always do stupid things”, “I’m an idiot”, or “I’m such a loser”. Realize that these words bring negative energy into our being and affect us on a physical level. I learned that Emoto’s experiments were conducted with water because sound vibration travels through water four times faster than it does through air! If we remember that our bodies are more than two-thirds water, we will begin to understand how quickly our cells respond to the negative words we think and say to ourselves.

In addition to reframing, some additional techniques we can practice are:

• Listen to our self-talk. Make a conscious effort to change self-criticism and self-demeaning name-calling to positive words in real time.

• Start to use powerful positive words. Instead of saying “the meal was okay, I’ve had better..” think of something unique and good about the meal and use words to speak to that such as ”I really enjoyed the …”

• Evaluate the company we keep. If you have complainers, gossipers, negative people in your circle, limit the time you spend with them if possible. Negative energy has a way of pulling everything and everyone into it. Realizing that it isn’t always possible to stay away from them, find ways to lift your energy immediately after leaving their presence.

• Do something that brings us joy. When we experience joy, neurological chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin are released into our system boosting our mood. This helps put us in a frame of mind that enables us to change our mindset and move us towards positive thoughts and positive words.

• Use the power of repetition to reinforce positive energy. One of my favorite things to do is to put post-it notes around my home, office, and sometimes on the glove compartment of my car with affirmations. Affirmations are simple positive statements that help us to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging and negative self-talk. When we repeat them regularly over time, we will begin to see a shift in those internal dialogues or monologues.

Remember the power of words --- words that are spoken to us and words that we speak to ourselves.

“Whether you think [say] you can, or you think [say] you can’t – you’re right.”

-Henry Ford