Are words holding you back?

I have come to realize how our very words reveal who we have become. They also reveal what we are creating for ourselves. In fact, spoken words have a ripple effect on your health that is stronger than you may think.

Even though you are not consciously aware, the words you say have power — in the form of a subtle, yet real energy. I have learned that emotions are energy. Where do you think we came up with the word emotion? The Latin emovere is “to move” — and words definitely have the power to move us.

Like energy-in-motion, your words carry power to change your feeling state. This occurs through chemicals in your body, and also through quantum mechanics (extremely small energy).

How do you feel when someone shouts in anger? Or, how does it feel to hear profanity? I define profanity as any speech verbalized by someone who is in a state of emotional shock or anger. Those who resort to vulgarity do so with the intention to shock, anger, or offend others.

I realize that the entertainment world now loves the “F” word and similar vulgarities. And each year young and unsuspecting people take on profanity like it is the latest clothing fashion. They don’t realize that it still offends most others. Some take to it like a child taking up cigarettes because of peer pressure. But none of it brings respect from respectable peers. It still brings negative energy.

Much like offensive speech, using negativity in your everyday speech also has power to degrade physical and emotional health.  I want to expand on this further in my next article.

The effects of energy created by speech (and thought) are real and measurable. Take water for example. The smallest movement in water creates a ripple effect. Larger movements — a wave.

Dr. Masaru Emoto is a Japanese scientist who has done some fascinating research — documented with beautiful images — on the effect of vibrational energy on water.

In his book, The Hidden Messages in Water, Dr. Emoto explains that water has a vibrational energy, and believes this vibrational energy can be affected by thoughts, words and other sounds (i.e. music).  He has documented these observable alterations in the water’s molecular structure in the lab.

His discovery of the “feelings” of water came about when he was working with magnetic resonance fields. He observed the unique crystalline shapes of water as it was being frozen, and found it correlated exactly with the “spiritual” vibration (or energy) of its surroundings. You can see images of the water crystals at his website.

He also claims that uplifting positive words or destructive negative words and phrases typed on paper and then affixed to bottles created vibrations which affected the water’s structure. And even words that are spoken nearby created vibrations to affect the structure of that water.

Considering that nearly 70 percent of the human body is water, we can only imagine what happens to the energy of your body when you speak words… either to your sickness or to your health… depending on words you speak each moment, and from day to day.

Your words reveal you

Something I learned years ago at Impact Training is a vital concept of the power of your speech, called the language of increase. There are a few words you probably use often that throw an energy of doubt or failure into your path.

Try

The first word is “try.” Every time you say you will “try” to do something, you are actually giving yourself a back door to fail — and not a commitment. Why? Because to “try” means only to “attempt,” but not to “succeed in doing.” So instead of saying, “I’ll try to,” or “I’m trying to…” (whatever it is), say, “I am committed to…” or “I am doing…” (whatever it is). Can you feel the difference in confidence between “trying” and being committed to something? To “try” implies uncertainty and probable failure. Therefore, from now on… just remove the word “try” from your vocabulary. Either do something or don’t do it.  Star Wars fans will know Yoda’s words to Luke, “ Do or do not, there is no try.”

Hope

Aside from its religious context, saying that you “hope” to do something, is much like trying. It implies that you are relying on the winds of chance, rather than being clear about your intention of success. Instead of “hoping to get there,” or “hoping to accomplish” something, instead say “I am going there,” or “I am accomplishing” something.  Therefore, from now on, simply remove that uncertain word “hope” and replace it with words of confidence, clarity of direction, and use of your own abilities and creative power.

Should

The next useless word is “should.”  It places a feeling of guilt. Instead of feeling the burden that you or someone “should” do something or be something better, instead say that you “deserve” it.  Saying that you deserve something clarifies that, not only are you worthy of good things (and each one of us is worthy), but that also speaks to your strengths, gifts, and abilities. Alternatively, the words “I get to” also take away the shame of that word “should.”  Therefore, remove the word “should” and replace it with all the things you “deserve” or “get to” be, do, or have. This is the language of increase — and you deserve to feel the difference this makes in your life!

Have to

Similar to that shameful word “should” is the burdening words, “have to.” When you “have to” do or be something, do you enjoy it? Of course not, because you are a slave to it! Instead, notice how freeing it feels to instead say, “I get to.” Do you notice the entirely more uplifting feeling of the words “I get to?” These words of increase build your energy of gratitude, confidence, and inner peace along your life journey.

Challenges

The language of increase includes many other positive words. Such positive speech brings positive energy and positive feelings. In time, these bring you a positive reality.

Let me briefly explain some examples here. First off, not only do positive phrases shift a negative feeling into feeling good, but it also brings others to feeling good, and shifts the mood entirely from fear and frustration, to confidence and gratitude for lessons being learned.

Positive phrases allow you to see the good news in this and subsequent life’s experiences. For example, the phrase “It’s all good” starts the feeling so you can see a given experience for the tremendous and beautiful opportunities it may bring you.

And what else comes with the language of increase is to no longer speak of your fears, challenges, frustrations, physical pains, failures or any bad news. Instead, you deserve to speak of your abilities, breakthroughs, opportunities, lessons learned, successes and the good news in every situation. Notice how those words feel even just hearing my say them!  Just wait until you start speaking the language of increase! It truly is a powerful shift… just from what you say!

In my next article I’ll show you how healing music affects plant growth… and human health. Then I’ll discuss how the language of increase can heal your thoughts, mood, and physical health. Your words can literally make you sick, or heal you.

To speaking positively and feeling good,

Michael Cutler, M.D.