The power of the tongue

There is an old proverb with a lot of wisdom. He says: “The tongue has the power of life and death, and whoever loves it will eat its fruit.”

It’s so true. What we say has the ability to create situations, emotions and thoughts in others. A kind word helps people, negative words hurt, sometimes for a long time.

Most of the time we think of this concept in relation to how we treat others and that is good. In fact, I wrote an article in the last month called “The Power of Complimenting People.” If you missed it, you can get it on the website.

But here I want to talk about this concept in relation to ourselves. How does what we say affect us? tremendously. There is a simple principle here. Only say things that will create positive emotions, thoughts, feelings, and ultimately actions in you.

Let me give you a good example. We don’t allow the words “can’t” in our house. Because? Because we can! The minimum is “I’ll try.” We ask our children to say “I’ll try.” If we allow our children, or ourselves, to fall into the trap of saying “I can’t,” guess what? We won’t! And that’s not good, is it?

Do you tell yourself negative thoughts during the day? Most of us can fall for that temptation, right? I was working the other day and I was thinking about something bad that had happened and I was losing my way. So I stopped, realized that I had the power to choose what he said to me, and began to think and say good things to myself. And my day changed for the better.

Have you ever been in your backswing on the golf course and said to yourself, “I’m going to kick this one.” What happens? You love him. This actually happens to me. Then what do I do? I stop my backswing, reset myself, and tell myself I’m going to hit him straight into the fairway. What happens? About half the time I hit it directly, the other half, I hit it, but increasing your ability is a future item! At the very least, I increase my chances of performing better. Bad thoughts almost guarantee my failure, while good ones dramatically increase my chances of success.

A salesperson may see someone walk through their door and say to themselves, “I’m not going to be able to make this sale.” Can’t. I won’t do it

Some of us are not even aware that we are talking negatively to ourselves. Take some time today to think about what you are saying to yourself. Maybe ask a close friend if he has this habit. If you find yourself doing this, it’s time to change!

Now don’t get me wrong. Self-talk is not a substitute for effort and skill, but it is a strong helping factor. Find some simple phrases that will help you get through the day more successfully. Whatever your situation or job, I’m sure there are specific things you can say that will strengthen you and keep you on the path to success.

The words you use and the conversations you have with yourself create things in you. They can create positive things or negative things. It is our choice. The tongue has the power of life and death. That is why it is so important to be diligent in using the power of the tongue to create a positive force in our lives.

Remember, your tongue has power. Use it!