I’ve always been fascinated by various languages and words that translate among them all. In everyday life, the simple exchange of words/phonics (e.g., verbal, signed, and written) secures a space of our own, food that we crave at a given moment, fosters and maintains friendships, navigates our work among co-workers and clientele, and a myriad of other aspects of life. However, for as much as I love language and the respective words they lean on, the hardest lesson for me to learn was how to properly absorb/reject words to remain aligned with a life that I enjoyed living.
During the most challenging years of my life, the words I was hearing were not the most pleasant nor supportive and, somehow along the way, there wasn’t enough strength to reject the words that didn’t resonate with me. Any strength I had was already reserved for recovery from multiple surgeries performed over the course of multiple years. My reflection projected a tired soul who was wearing an overcoat of negativity stitched from words I’d rather forget. While the coat was useful in numbing the sting of day-to-day life, it clung like a viscous, thick, heavy, sludge. There would be moments I could shake it off for a day or two, but I ended up believing these harsh words to the point that they were the first to greet me in the morning and strummed my anxiety as I grappled with sleep at night.
At my darkest, I was fortunate to find someone took her devotion to helping others seriously and had a bottomless amount of compassion and support. Her approach was simple, she spoke such positive, reassuring words slowly and articulately until I lay down the bulky weight of the overcoat and donned an elegant lighter robe. Our sessions were complete when I woke up one morning to complete peace and stillness as I had finally learned to chose correctly. The negative words are still present within the treasure trove of my vocabulary, only now they exist at the bottom of the box. I’ve rediscovered words that I’d much rather devote my thoughts and my time to.
July’s Blog is a gentle reminder that focusing on words that excite you or instill your version of joy is an exercise that is completely free, provides instant gratification, and is a practice your future self will be grateful for. If you are interested in another great story or two of the power of words, please feel free to watch the following TedTalks.
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