What are you saying? Listen to yourself! Your words mean things, even if you’re the only one around to hear them.

SAY WHAT?!

Remember the bullied plant? An experiment done by IKEA® of two equal plants. One plant had negative words spoken to it and the other plant had positive words spoken over it. After several weeks, despite no change in environment, the bullied plant was withering and dying while the complimented plant was thriving.  

Our language, our words, are evidence of who we are. If you think “nothing’s going to change” or “I’m not worth it,” it will eventually come out. Your thoughts become your words which shows up in your body. When you speak, you make yourself visible to the world - you make who you are inside of you visible to the rest of us.

The words we think and speak frame the context of our lives. Check out the book, Words Can Change Your Brain. A single word has the power to influence the expression of genes that regulate physical and emotional stress!

Play a different recording in your head. Exercising positive thoughts can quite literally change your reality. The battle starts in the mind. Your mouth speaks out of an abundance of what’s inside of you. Luke 6:45. The great philosopher, Rene Descartes, gave us “I think, therefore I AM”. The Italian linguist and neuroscientist, Andrea Moro, gave us “I speak, therefore I AM”! 

Build a house of good words to live in. Your outward appearance can be transformed by the words you speak. Studies show negative words release stress and anxiety-inducing hormones (NIH). The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Prov. 18:21. When your mind gives in to negative thinking, negative words will come out of your mouth and they will frame your world with anxiety and woes.

It's  Science - WORDS HURT! We defile ourselves, our bodies, when we speak negative words. Our face contorts from pain matrix cues. Frowns replace smiles and hunched shoulders replace tall, confident spines. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that's what defiles them. Matt. 15:11. Sure, watch what you eat. But, even more so, beware of what you speak.

Listen to yourself. Do you hear the words coming out of your mouth? Are they fear words or faith words? Are they happy words or negative words? Are they words that build up, or are they words that tear down? 

Restore your youth with the words you say. Especially when you don’t feel good or don't feel happy, that’s definitely when you need to force yourself to speak good things, proclaim goodness, sing a song into the air around you, even if you are alone, even if you do it through tears. 

The exercise of speaking goodness when you don’t feel like it will re-train yourself to believe good things instead of negative things, to stop your pain matrix, to reduce stress inducing hormones. By speaking goodness and listening to others saying good words online, on TV, at the salon, or on a phone call, will fill you with goodness and change your outward appearance. A lifestyle of always doing this will restore your youth. Your eyes and ears will begin to avoid negative, defiling situations because it will be like a foreign language you don't understand. Train yourself for only goodness and your body will look more youthful, your countenance will appear more vibrant, and your mind will be an echo chamber of happiness.    

We are on an amazing adventure of discovery of who we are and who God is in us. It’s a fascinating lifestyle! Every situation we face is about our primary purpose on this earth; what are you here to do? Every life circumstance is about who you are becoming in your life story. God is goodness, joy and peace, and it’s all ours to explore. It’s the bigness of Christ and the smallness of our circumstances that brings perspective.

Here are some simple communication tips to help with positive words:

• Adopt a relaxed attitude: This helps create a more receptive and open environment for communication.
• Be present during a conversation: Focusing on the moment and actively listen to the other person.
• Cultivate inner silence: Create space inside for reflection and understanding before responding.
• Speak warmly and slowly: This creates a more comfortable and empathetic environment.
• Express appreciation: Acknowledge the other person's perspective and contributions.
• Listen deeply: Paying attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues.