We strongly believe that one of the most impactful ways to change your life and the lives of others is by using the power of the spoken word. Choosing what you say to people, about people, and to yourself or about yourself, is a decision that can either make you or break you. If you’re going to speak to someone (or internally to yourself) it’s very important to do so with positive words and thoughts.
Negative thinking is bad, but negative speaking is worse.
Although it’s difficult to avoid negative thoughts, especially if your current situation is negative, it’s crucial. What’s more crucial? Making sure that you never allow those negative thoughts to become part of the spoken word. The moment you speak your negative thoughts is the moment that you give them power. But if you can manage to speak positively over and over and over again, you might just drown out the negative thoughts.
Repeating positive thoughts amidst less-than-ideal circumstances allows you to start fighting those circumstances with hope and determination. When you have experienced failure after failure and it doesn’t seem to be getting better, don’t give in to the negative thoughts, and certainly don’t say them out loud. The sooner you can flip the script, the better. Check out some examples of positive affirmations here, to help you push the negativity away. Allow yourself to believe that you can overcome whatever complications you’re facing in life because you can!
Stop bad thoughts before they have the chance to leave your mouth.
To end your worrying and not let the spoken word become negative, we’ve got three tips and tricks to stop bad thoughts in their tracks.
Replace bad thoughts.
When a negative thought arises, shut it down with a positive and hopeful one. For example, instead of saying to your spouse or friend, “I can’t seem to succeed. Maybe I’m not cut out for this,” say, “Each failure that I’ve faced is teaching me something about myself. I can endure failure and I just keep getting back up. I am unstoppable!”
Cut that “should” out.
Rather than telling yourself, “I should start being easier on myself,” actually try it. Or if you’re going to say, “I should start exercising more,” say, “I’m going to start exercising a minimum of three times a week!” When you speak it, it becomes harder to take back. The idea is out in the universe already especially if you say it in a group setting. Once you’ve said it in front of others, you better expect them to follow up with you and see if you actually did start an exercise routine. And you’d hate to be the person who doesn’t stick to their words, right?
Accept criticism and brush off rejection.
Not everyone is going to like you. Let’s get that out of the way. There are too many people in the world for you to make friends with all of them … and that’s okay! When people don’t get along with you or seem to have a problem with you, let it go. They aren’t worth wasting your time or energy over. If you struggle with rejection, here are some great tips for how to change the way it affects you.
Once you’ve learned to brush rejection off your shoulder, it’s time for the more important step: accepting criticism and critique. Open yourself up to any and all criticism. Any feedback is good feedback. Sometimes the best feedback comes from unexpected places. But one thing is for sure—feedback + action = growth.
Use the power of the spoken word on yourself and others!
Now that you know how powerful the spoken word can be, use it responsibly. Speak positively to others and about others. The only time you should ever talk about someone behind their back is if you’re going to rant and rave about how much you love, respect, and admire them. If that information ever comes back around to them, you have no idea how much that will build their confidence! And if you want to boost them up one-on-one, do that too. Be kind and positive right to their face, and you will uplift them higher than you can imagine.
Then, since you’re doing it for other people, do it for yourself. You deserve it. Speak positively about yourself (but not in a cocky way). Exude confidence, optimism, kindness, and gratitude and your life will be flooded with blessings. After all, what goes around comes around. So, speak positively to yourself and to others, and others will speak positively to you.
If you’re really struggling to stay strong, check out our blog on “How to Stay Strong When You Feel Like Quitting.”
