26. Choosing our words

What does ‘a pen is mightier than a Sword’ mean? How about ‘a sharp tongue cuts deeper than a knife’? There is so much truth in these old wisdoms. The spoken word can inspire and grant benediction, just as it can cause deep pain and suffering, dependent on the tone and emotion used behind the words. Most of us are aware of this, yet we don’t realise its power and long-term consequences.

The words we use have great impact on our mind. This morning, I was struck by my husband’s sigh of frustration saying, ‘I have one more problem to solve.’ The reaction in my mind was ‘one more challenge to overcome’… same situation but different perspective! Certain words carry a frequency of stress and others motivate us to action. Some words when spoken aloud almost act as a command to our self. I have heard that anything we say after ‘I am …..’ Is like telling ourselves to deliver those thoughts, e.g. “I am tired’, ‘I am depressed’, ‘I am poor’. On the other hand, ‘I am very well’, ‘I am wealthy’, ‘I am loveable’, ‘I am happy’, creates a life with these sentiments.

I once heard a teacher say, ‘the quality of our life is dependent on the quality of our questions’. A few years ago, I used to think in the face of a challenge, ‘why is this happening to me?’ Nowadays, I am more likely to think ‘what do I need to learn from this?’ This change in thought has made a profound difference in the way my life unfolds. I find myself at peace, viewing every situation with wonder … ‘I wonder where this will lead me’ or ‘I wonder what will happen next’. I find that this has added more life to my years and perhaps…more years to my life!