Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.
You probably learned this rhyme as a child and maybe chanted it to a playmate who was teasing you. It would be nice if it were true, but it's not. Words can hurt. They can also help. However words are used, they're powerful. And their strength comes not only in how other people talk to you, but in how you talk to them — and how you talk to yourself.
For example, I don't have problems. Problems are negative, they're anchors that can drag you down. My competitors have problems they have to deal with. I may be dealing with the same issues, but to me, they are challenges, not problems.
And in addition to challenges, I have opportunities — again, they might be the very same issues, but that's how I see them. What's important is that I don't have problems. And you shouldn't, either. This is basic, but it can't be overemphasized.
People who hear you speak will respond subconsciously to the underlying message sent by your choice of words. That's why the best sales training courses spend so much time on this subject. This isn't just a bit of smoke-blowing that insists that all you have to do is say everything is wonderful and great and fantastic, and it will be. No amount of talking is going to accomplish anything unless you also have the right information and action to go along with it. But language is an important tool in your success arsenal, whether it's the words you use when you speak or when you think.
Why are positive affirmations a staple in any self-improvement program? Because they work. Tell yourself over and over, every day, that you are capable, you are smart, you are successful, you are whatever it is that you want to be. It won't take long for you to believe it and when you believe it, you can make it happen.
What you say to yourself and how you say it is more important than what you say to anyone else. After all, whom do you trust most in this world? Yourself. Whom are you going to believe, over and above anyone else? Yourself. So speak to yourself in language that will lift you up, give you confidence, guide you to the knowledge you need, and motivate you to achieve your goals.
Jacquelyn's latest book is Christian Business Almanac: The Ultimate Daily Guide for Kingdom-Driven Entrepreneurs and Leaders.
She is the author of the nonfiction books Simple Facts About Self-Publishing (Second Edition), Words to Work By: 31 devotions for the workplace based on the Book of Proverbs and Finding Joy in the Morning: You can make it through the night as well as the novel Choices (A Joyful Cup Story). With her husband, she is the co-creator of several coloring books for adults and the novelty My Book About series.
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