Do you realize the impact of your words?
In general, we’re more aware of the power of others’ words than of our own. What we say and how we hear it are both influenced by the words we use.
It’s amazing how just altering the words we use to express our emotions can have such a tremendous impact on our thoughts, feelings, and actions. What Anthony Robbins calls “Transformational Vocabulary” describes this potential of deliberate word selection for the benefit of our present and future well-being.
There are around 500,000 words in the English language, for example. However, the average human uses little more than 2,000 at any given time. The number of words we use on a daily basis ranges from 200 to 300! We have a slew of tools at our disposal to help us communicate our thoughts. Many words are in our vocabulary, however, we only use a handful to communicate our thoughts.
It is common for our brain to search for phrases that describe comparable sensations in order to speed up the process of processing new information. However, we have no idea how “limited” our emotional experience is becoming. The feeling of saying “I am heartbroken” and the feeling of saying “I am slightly disappointed” are not the same, is it?
For 20 years, Anthony Robbins asked members of his audience to jot down the number of emotions they felt each week on a piece of paper. Interestingly, no matter how many individuals are participating, the average word count is constantly between 2,000 and 30,000. As a result of this, people tend to employ between 10 and 12 words to explain their feelings, with more than half of these terms being associated with “bad emotions”. People can shift from “happy, pleased” to “sad, depressed, irritated,” to name just a few states of being.
We Have the Power to Choose How We Feel and What We Say
If we took the time to pay attention to the words we use when we are experiencing negative emotions, we would probably understand that the words we use to describe those emotions may be causing those sentiments in the first place. It is possible that we do not pick the words with which we express our feelings intentionally. Our emotions are accompanied by particular phrases that we use unknowingly, and these words have a biochemical effect on our bodies. The problem comes in learning to actively pick which words will accompany our moods.
The impact of other people’s words on us is far more noticeable. It is not the same feeling we get when someone tells us “I think you were incorrect” as it is when they tell us “you are lying.” Perhaps our bodies go through various biochemical alterations as a result of various events. The similar process happens when we speak to ourselves, but we are less conscious of the consequences of our words.
As a result, the words that accompany our experience have the ability to alter it, having the ability to “aggravate or soften it.”
Are you ready to take on a new challenge?
Then, I suggest that you write down the three emotions that overwhelm you the most, and that you look up words for them that make you feel better or laugh at what you feel in order to break the chain between your thoughts and your emotions.
For a period of ten days, focus on the word and see how your mood shifts. As a general rule, it is preferable to avoid being a victim of an emotion rather than consciously choosing it.
We must alter our emotional patterns if we are to alter our lives, our acts, and our decisions. Consciously choosing the words with which we will explain our feelings is another powerful skill. We may reduce the strength of our feelings to the point that they no longer rule us by doing this. In both favorable and negative situations, this can help us feel more fulfilled and happy.
The most important thing is to create choices and not reactions.
Give it a go. I can assure you that it works.
