The old saying goes “names will never hurt me”. In my opinion this is incorrect and no amount of convincing will change my mind.
Over the years I have seen words have exceptional power to heal and change lives and I’ve seen the damage done to people from careless words.
A thoughtless criticism, either written or spoken, no matter how well meaning can have life long negative implications to a person.
Words can turn into beliefs – either good or bad. How powerful is that, in fact it can be the most powerful thing we have; it can be a deadly weapon to our own or another person’s self esteem – especially children and young people.
I’m not talking about spewing niceties all over the place and never being honest with someone or yourself, I’m talking about choosing words wisely and using them for correction rather than degrading another or yourself.
For example – a child(or adult) drops something on the floor. You say – “you idiot, what did you do that for?” can, with enough emotion and shame, turn into a life long negative belief, it depends on how vulnerable the child(or adult) feels at the time or the amount of negative emotion used.
Or you can say “It’s ok, accidents happen, clean it up quickly” – the person is already feeling bad, it doesn’t need reinforcement from you. A word of encouragement or correction can help someone grow, a harsh word can stop a person growing – not physically of course, but emotionally.
A friend who is in her 70’s, as a child at a family dinner, had a visiting uncle pass an insulting remark about her chin, she was so embarrassed. She still feels insecure about her chin to this day, some 60 years later!
Take the time to build your own energy and self-esteem – the better you feel about yourself the more positive and uplifting your words will be. People who have low self-esteem will do their best to bring others down in order to give themselves a lift – it actually becomes addictive.
We get times when things really p*@# us off and say things in the heat of the moment, but being aware is the first step. Gradually, with time and practice, your words naturally begin to gravitate in an empowering and positive direction.
In the beginning, take it one word or sentence at a time. Change one, and before you know it, you’ll see positive results.
Again, the more you work to lift your energy vibrations the more you want to empower others. Don’t dwell in the past about what was done or said to you – it can’t be changed – the present – right now – is your point of power. Act now with a new vision and purpose and create a better reality for yourself and those around you.
