“If you want to change your life, change your words…and words are free.” – Robert T. Kyosaki
Words define your attitude and your attitude defines your reality, therefore it is the words that you use on a daily basis that ultimately defines the reality you are living.
Words are powerful things and when used well can be a vehicle for powerful, positive change. At the same time, when words are used poorly they become a vehicle for equally powerful, negative trappings.
You have to be very careful of the words you use on a daily basis, as these words have the greatest impact on the “story” you create and it is the story that ultimately determines the direction your life progresses along.
The words that people use tend to reflect the life they are leading.
Positive people use positive words like “I can…”, “I will…” , whereas negative people use words like “I can’t…”, “I won’t”.
Rich people use the words of the rich like “Passive Income” and “Return on investment” whereas poor people use the words of the poor like “Paycheck” and “Mutual Funds”
Socialites use social words like “We…”, “Us…” whereas loners use self serving words like “Me…”, “Myself…”
Be conscious of the words that you are using on a daily basis. Are these the right words that fit with the reality you want to lead? If not, you had better start changing your words, because if you want to change your life, you first have to change your words…and words are free.
12 Comments
Very good advice. “I am” is one of the most powerful phrases we can say. Though, we must be sure to use this along positive lines. By monitoring our inner dialogue we provide ourselves the chance to change our attitude and situation. Mindfulness can be a difficult skill to obtain, but by giving ourselves a cue to focus on, like having a rubber band to snap, or a trinket in our pocket, we can remind ourselves to refocus when be pessimistic or negative. Thanks!
Hi Joe,
Great to hear you bring up the rubber band technique as it is one I use from time to time.
For those that don’t know, the rubber band technique is very simple. You wear a rubber band around your wrist with a set goal in mind, for example, a goal to always speak positively or say “I can” as opposed to “I can’t”. Every time you do the opposite of your goal, like speaking negatively or using “I can’t” you snap the band on your wrist. The shock helps to hardwire your subconscious to associate the negative behaviour with pain and is a great aid for changing your long term habits, especially with the words that you use.
Just a comment about your blog Joe. If you download a comments threading plugin in word press you will be able to have your responses to people comments layered properly.
- Jonny
Jonny,
You are on point. Words have a much more powerful persuasive power than people ever think that they do. When you frame words properly you really can shirt your perspective.
The only question is the chicken or the egg?
Can utilizing the proper vocabulary make you a better.
Or does the positive improvements in your life make you frame your thoughts in the right way?
Hi Steve,
Great question. I believe strongly in the egg before the chicken, that by first changing your vocabulary you drastically cause positive improvements in your life. Words create your attitude, your attitude dictates your reality and your reality determines your life.
You also have an interesting point on “framing your words.” Herein lies another powerful function of words. How you frame your words is just as important as the words you actually use, and this is no more real then when planning. The words you use when setting plans and how they are framed eg. “Complete XYZ” as opposed to “Continue XYZ” have a huge impact on the end game changes of success and completion. “Complete” is benchmarkable and makes you focus, whereas “Continue” is wishy washy for use of a better word.
Thanks for the comment.
- Jonny
A while back I did a little personal challenge where I thought about every single thing I said before I said it. I thought it through and asked if it was upbeat, positive, worth saying, etc. If it wasn’t, it didn’t come out. It was amazing to see the impact it had on my outlook about each day. Great post, and really enjoyed the quote at the beginning.
Cheers Nate,
Interesting experiment, I may have to try it though I am pretty sure it would lead to me looking like an idiot as I stand around thinking actually forget to respond to the person I am talking with. How long did you keep the challenge up for and has it had a lasting effect on you?
- Jonny
What we say can create life or death. All wise people know this. This is why the people at the top of the food chain only eat steak and never left over bacon.
They see themselves as great, not just average individuals who can get by. They demand great things from this life and get that. So if you want to be the hunter, you better start thinking and speaking like it.
Hi Jonathan,
Welcome to the site man and good to hear some powerful words. Change in anything starts with a change in a persons words and attitude so that, as you say, we go for the steak and not the left over bacon.
The drop out kid is a great looking site mate with a good underlying style. I can see that getting popular.
- Jonny
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For me it’s more that words that dictate success. Success does not belong to a select few; success belongs to “you,” if you’re willing to go after it. Success is never handed out, you must take it, but you don’t take it by force. You take success by becoming a successful person internally. When you succeed on the inside, by taking on the thoughts of a successful person, the results will show on the outside.
To quote Theodore Zeldin:
“To have a new vision of the future, it has always first been necessary to have a new vision of the past.”
In other words, we need to spend less time Doing and more time Contemplating:
* Doing – here we spend most of our lives being busy and occupied, but effectively in a settled equilibrium position.
* Contemplating – here we take time out to stop being busy but reflect on the past and look forward to the future. We wonder what things would be like if we could do things differently?
We need to take an existentialist viewpoint to find ourselves and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility. Take time to search, to find out who and what we are throughout life as we make choices based on our experiences, beliefs, and outlook.
In effect when it comes to making choices in life, can’t is the wrong word.
Hi Robert, welcome to the site.
It is definitely more than words that ultimately dictates success and success definitely does not only belong to a select few, it can belong to anyone, you need only define what success means for you and then go after it.
How do you succeed on the inside? You first start by changing your words, because it is by changing your words that you will change how you think on the inside and how you think on the inside is how you will act on the outside.
I agree with you about the need for contemplation but there needs to be an equal balance between thinking about something and putting a plan in place for achieving it. Too many people CONTEMPLATE success but are not willing to DO the things needed in order to achieve it.
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