By M. Elena Rogers
Manly Hall, the Canadian-born author and mystic once said, "Words are potent weapons for all causes, good or bad." Due to the fact that this is so true, I have devised a quiz, so that you can test yourself to see whether you are aware of the profound effects that positive and negative words have.
1. Are you choosing the exact words that you mean?
We often say words thoughtlessly. Many times, we do not really mean what we say. In sense, we live in a semantic universe. Have you ever heard a father say that his child is dead lazy, or have you heard someone say, "I wanted to die,” when something uncomfortable happens? Is that really what that person really meant, that is, that he/she wanted to die? Of course not, so you can see how vital the choice of positive words are.
2. Do you realize the powerful effect negative and positive words have on your life?
Every word that we say has an effect. All spiritual disciplines warn us to be very careful of the words that we speak. Negative words can remain with a child all his/her life, as can positive words. A moment of irritation can cause a parent to say "You never do things right." Many children have heard a parent or relative say, "You will never make anything of yourself." Can you image how damaging that can be when as an adult he/she is applying for a job?
3. Do you spend a large percentage of your time, listening to negative words instead of positive words?
Everyday, we are showered by negative words. Turning on the television and listen to local evening news gives us mostly a negative outpouring of words. We have talk shows where people are always arguing and discussing negative events. Our music degrades women and devalues life. Then a friend calls and tells you about their latest disappointment and yet again, you are listening to negative words. You must discipline yourself to eliminate these negative words as much as possible. You can determine to outbalance the negative words with the positive words by listening to inspirational CDs, joining a group where people regularly focus on positive things, attend a spiritual gathering and sing songs with positive words. There is a marvelous healing power in sacred songs and hymns.
4. Do your realize how many negative words you use unknowingly in common everyday expressions?
Many of our most common expressions use negative words. How many times have you or someone else said, "I nearly had a fit." (I stopped saying that after meeting a young boy who suffered from a form of epilepsy that cruelly twisted and contorted him for several minutes each day.) Have you said, " I could have killed him," when some minor thing has bothered us. This fact of how we unwittingly say negative words was brought home to me, when I was living in another country and learning another language.
In our own language we say expressions without thinking, but in another language we tend to notice the literal meaning of words and phrases. For example, there is a phrase in Italian "morire di noia" means to die of boredom. Translated in a typical sentence could be "I am so sick of working, I hope to die of boredom when I retire." Obviously, a person doesn't really want to die like this when they retire. I will never forget reading at the start of my self-improvement journey that Louise Hay, the inspired woman who began the positive thinking movement, was on a trip to Australia. The organizer of her tour suggested an organizational shortcut. He said, "We can kill two birds with one stone." Hay, turned to him shocked and said," Why on earth would you want to kill a bird with a stone?" She was so conscious of words that were spoken and the power of them and insisted always on the discipline of saying positive words.
5. Do you realize that Businesses can thrive and relationships can be healed if positive words are adopted?
Let us look at a few examples. If you are in dentist's waiting room and the nurse comes in and says, "I do apologize for the delay, but the dentist has had to do an emergency treatment. I would be more than happy to help you if it more convenient for you to make another appointment." Or if you have to walk into a supermarket and the manager explains "We are so sorry for the inconvenience, but we are changing the display to make it easier or our customers" If you are anxious about a situation and a friend tells you "Don't worry, everything will turn out alright. It’s not that big of a deal." What a healing, calming effect those positive words would have.
So, in essence, you must be conscious of the meaning of the words you speak, be aware of the resounding effect these words have, discipline yourself to listen to a higher percentage of positive words than negative words, beware of unthinkingly using negativity in everyday expressions, and be proactive in using positive words in your business, home, and moment-to-moment living. It is so true as a wise voice from the past cautions us, "The language we use to communicate with one another is like a knife. In the hands of a careful and skilled surgeon, a knife can work to do great good. But in the hands of a careless or ignorant person, a knife can cause great harm. Exactly as it is with our words." (Source Unknown)
M. Elena Rogers is a recognized expert in success strategies. She draws upon her extensive experience to assist people in achieving their dreams. For more information, visit www.bestsuccessoptions.com.
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