There is an old proverb with a lot of wisdom. He says: “The tongue has the power of life and death, and he who loves it will eat its fruit.”
It’s so true. What we say has the ability to create situations, emotions and thoughts in others. A kind word helps people, negative words hurt, sometimes for a long time.
Most of the time we think of this concept in relation to how we treat others and that is good. In fact, I wrote an article last month called “The Power of Praising People.” If you missed it, you can get it on the website.
But here I want to talk about this concept in relation to ourselves. How does what we say affect us? Tremendously. There is a simple principle here. Only say things that will create in you positive emotions, thoughts, feelings, and ultimately actions.
Let me give you a good example. We don’t allow the words “I can’t” in our house. Why? Because we can! The minimum is “I will try”. We ask our children to say “I’ll try.” If we allow our children, or ourselves, to fall into the trap of saying “I can’t”, guess what? We won’t! And that’s not good, right?
Do you tell yourself negative thoughts during the day? Most of us can fall into that temptation, can’t we? I was working the other day and I was thinking about something bad that had happened and I was losing my shape. So I stopped, realized that I had the power to choose what I said to myself, and started thinking and saying good things to myself. And my day changed for the better.
Have you ever been on your backswing on the golf course and said to yourself, “I’m going to hit this one.” What happens? You love him. This actually happens to me. Then what do I do? I stop my backswing, reset, and tell myself I’m going to hit him right on the fairway. What happens? About half the time I hit him directly, the other half, I hit him, but raising your skill is a future item! At a minimum, I increase my chances of performing better. Bad thoughts almost guarantee my failure, while good ones dramatically increase my chances of success.
A salesperson may see someone walk through their door and say to themselves, “I’m not going to be able to make this sale.” I do not can. I will not do it
Some of us are not even aware that we speak negatively to ourselves. Take some time today to think about what you say to yourself. Maybe ask a close friend if he has this habit. If you find yourself doing this, it’s time to change!
Now, don’t get me wrong. Self-talk is not a substitute for effort and skill, but it is a strong helping factor. Find some simple phrases that will help you get through the day more successfully. Whatever your situation or job, I’m sure there are specific things you can say that will make you stronger and keep you on the path to success.
The words you use and the conversations you have with yourself create things in you. They can create positive things or negative things. It is our choice. The tongue has the power of life and death. This is why it is so important to be diligent in using the power of the tongue to create a positive force in our lives.
Remember, your tongue has power. Use it!