Words do matter. The power of language most of us are unaware of literally shapes our reality. Now, the trick is to learn how to use it to your advantage.
Before we discuss the power of language, let me cite an insightful quote.
Betty Eadie, the author of the international bestsellers, once wrote, “If we understood the power of our thoughts, we would guard them more closely. If we understood the awesome power of our words, we would prefer silence to almost anything negative. In our thoughts and words, we create our own weaknesses and our own strengths.”
This quote sends the fundamental truth about how powerful the language is. Language changes lives by changing minds, shaping thought, and making worlds of difference merely by what is said or not said. It embodies the rules of a culture and the aspirations of those who live in it.
The language we speak, hear and read, and with which our minds reflect our place in the world, shapes our reality.
What Is the Power of Language?
Language is important both because of what it communicates and how it does it. The impact and power of language are really paradoxical in how language can influence our behavior. This power is so strong that it can be demonstrated how language can actually influence the way we think.
“But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought”.
George Orwell
When language is used wisely, it can evoke very deep feelings in others, motivate others to action and construe the nature of our relationships. Language is a very powerful tool for change, both positive and negative.
“Language creates reality. Words have power. Speak always to create joy”.
Deepak Chopra
The power of language to influence thought makes vocabulary building a critical part of education. To broaden language is to broaden the ability to think. We can see this in children, whose thinking develops hand in hand with the language.
It helps a great deal to increase our ‘word power’ by introducing new words into our vocabulary in order to teach new ideas and new ways of thinking.
How to Use the Power of Language: Turning Words into Shapes
Psychologists have found that our subconscious mind interprets what it hears very literally. The words that come out of our mouth, therefore, create the reality we reside – for better or worse.
Unfortunately, it’s often the latter as we unconsciously destroy our success simply by using negative language that undermines our opinions, exaggerates our problems and kills our confidence.
What you think directly influences how you feel and how you behave. So if you think you’re a failure, you’ll feel like a failure. Then, you’ll act like a failure, which strengthens your belief that you must be a failure.
“I am – two of the most powerful words. For what you put after them shapes your reality”.
Joel Osteen
Creating a more positive outlook can lead to better outcomes. That’s not to say positive thoughts have magical powers. But optimistic thoughts lead to productive behavior, which increases your chances of a successful outcome.
To build self-confidence, you have to change the way you speak. Use these recommendations in your life:
- Try to use positive language.
- Get rid of labels.
- Take measures to action.
- Have your opinion and don’t apologize for it.
- Diversify your words.
The Power of Words
“Words have a magical power. They can either bring the greatest happiness or the deepest despair”.
Sigmund Freud
So, words really do matter. The words you use hold a huge power. The power to fuel your confidence and ambition and the power to make you feel worried and imperfect. The power to make a strong first impression and the power to be quickly forgotten. Finally, the power to create opportunities and the power to shut them down.
Your language affects how others perceive and relate to you. If you often feel overlooked or underestimated, consider how your speech patterns are contributing to how others engage with you. Listen to any successful person, and you will notice they use language that is positive, explicit, action-focused and steadily puts the pledge of trust in their relationships.
The words have the power to build people up, confine people to where they are, and break people down. Choose your words carefully before you utter them to others, but most importantly, the words you utter to yourself must be positive. Instill belief and hope within yourself.
Using the Power of Language Wisely: Bottom Line
Language is central to our experience of being human, and the languages we speak deeply shape the way we think, the way we see the world, the way we live our lives.
“Your word is the power that you have to create; it is a gift”.
Don Miguel Ruiz
The power of the language we use shapes the worlds we create. It shapes the lives we live and the actions we take. It shapes the way we organize ourselves against the challenges we face.
The words you speak hold power. The power to create new possibilities or to close them down. They hold the power to build relationships or to damage them. The power to lift people up or to pull them down. Finally, the power to fuel your courage or magnify your fear.
The language you use to describe your state-of-mind at any moment in time actively shapes your fate. It is therefore absolutely paramount that you get into the habit of transforming your vocabulary in a more positive and helpful way that has something in common with the type of life you would like to live.
References:
Norman Vincent Peale wrote a book years ago called “The Power of Positive Thinking”. The advice he gave has not changed much since then and probably never will. That’s a good thing. It’s not only that we are what we eat but also we are what we think, say ans do. The Upanishads, written thousands of years before Christianity was even a word, says: ” We all have deep driving desires. As our desires are so is our need. As our need is so is our deed and as our deed is so is our destiny”. Think before you speak.