WARNING: The next word you CHOOSE will DEFINE YOU!

The previous two months I wrote about The Three Deadliest Words You Can Say and the Most Powerful Words in the English Language.

 

If there is one point I want to communicate, it is about the power of our words and the importance of being mindful of our choice of words. Whenever we speak, the words we choose are an affirmation of who we are and what we believe. And they have a very powerful impact on us and the lives we are creating, whether we realize it or not.

 

This month I want to highlight what I believe is THE MOST IMPORTANT word you will ever choose in your life. It completes a very short and simple sentence.

 

“I am ____. “

 

“I am” is the beginning of perhaps the most potent sentence you will ever utter. It is a declaration; an affirmation; a belief. And if you say or think it enough, it begins to become your truth.

 

Given that, the next word you choose after writing, thinking or speaking “I am” should be chosen very carefully, for it will no doubt define you and shape your life.

 

All too often I hear people being incredibly careless, lazy and unconscious about their choice.

• I’m not pretty.
• I am so stupid.
• I’m not worth it.

 

With all of these careless choices, an important distinction needs to be made that dramatically changes the meaning of these sentences.

 

I am vs. I feel

 

I am stupid vs. I feel stupid, or I am unworthy vs. I feel unworthy, significantly changes the energy of this sentence. And it is a vital difference.

 

The first is a declaration of who you are, and it defines you. The second is simply a description of your emotions and how you are feeling in the moment. To go through life expressing or describing your life using the first can be detrimental to your happiness and satisfaction. Expressing things the second way acknowledges that the situation is just temporary and that you have the ability to change it.

 

To truly empower your life and honor the magnificent person you are, be mindful of the next word you choose after thinking or uttering the words “I am.” Whether you are aware of it or not, it will define you.

 

“Words used carelessly, as if they did not matter in any serious way, often allowed otherwise well-guarded truths to seep through.”

– Douglas Adams

 

I often tell my clients that I listen between the lines (as opposed to read between the lines). I believe the words we choose are purposeful, whether we are aware of it or not. And those words speak a truth about who we are and what we hold deep within our heart and soul.

 

If you want to change your life, your business or the world around you, be mindful of your words. They are one of the few things you have complete control over, and they are one of the few things that can, and will, directly impact how you create and perceive the world around you.

 

You are what YOU believe! Don’t let anyone else tell you who you are or what you can do!
 
 

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Change Your Perspective, Change Your Life

If I asked you to find the United States on the map below, you would most likely be able to do that. Similarly, if I asked you to find India, you would succeed as well. We all grew up staring at this map on the wall while our teacher stood in front of the classroom imparting knowledge. The map is part of our ingrained belief about how the world looks.

 

 
But what if I told you it was all wrong? What if I told you that the world actually looks like this?
 

 

Surprising, right? In fact, I bet some of you would say that this second map is just plain wrong. And perhaps, like myself, even after seeing this map and reading this newsletter, you will still think and relate to the world according to the first map. It’s as if the first map is part of our DNA.

 

We all grew up thinking Greenland is as large as Africa, when in fact Africa is 14 times larger. We think Europe and South America are roughly the same size, when in fact South America is 60% larger. We think Alaska is much larger than Mexico, when in fact Mexico is larger by 100,000 square miles.

 
Why is this important? Because it is a beautiful demonstration of the power of beliefs.
 

We interact with the world based on our beliefs – what we think and believe about ourselves, what we think and believe about others, what we think and believe about our life. These beliefs live as truths for us, form who we are, and guide our actions.

 
But as you can see, they are not always true. They are just true for us.
 

If you are stuck or unhappy with something in your life or business, take a moment to consider the beliefs that lie underneath that unhappiness. Chances are, those beliefs are forming your thinking and are the reason for being stuck or unhappy. Thus, to change your situation in life, you must change your beliefs.

 

If you don’t change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever. Is that good news?

– W. Somerset Maugham

 

The first step to changing a belief is to become aware of it. If you don’t know what your beliefs are, then chances are they are running you like a robot. You have no choice in life and simply carry on like a machine. But once you can see your beliefs, you can be at choice about them. You can decide which ones serve you and which ones do not. And in that moment, your life becomes yours to change.

 

To further understand the social impacts this particular perspective of the world might have, watch the fun clip below of one of my favorite TV shows, The West Wing.  As a writer, I always admired the dialogue of this Emmy winning show.

 

 
 

World map courtesy of picturespider.com

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