“What comes out of your mouth is determined by what goes into your mind”
-Zig Zigler
A few days back while surfing the internet I read a beautiful story. A true story and very appealing and meaningful. A story from the archives of African tribes. I felt that story can be named “Murder by Words”. The brief story is about killing someone spiritually. The Solomon tribe of Africa uses words to log down thick and strong trees. According to them, it is a mystical way of plummeting a big tree. They first identify the tree that they want to chop. Later all the villagers gather every day around that tree and curse it. For the next thirty days, they repeat this exercise of speaking bad words to the tree for about an hour. Unbelievable but true!! Magically the tree falls within thirty days. A healthy and strong tree plunge with none other than anything but WORDS. They believe that words are sharper than any chopping tool like a knife or chopper. They do not harm from outside but within inside they break the inner strength of even the robust. An age-old and successful method, used by the tribe for many generations.
Amazingly this process of yelling and felling is so much applicable in human life as well. Since our birth, we hear so many different words from different people in our surroundings. Words form the world for us. The world that revolves around the energy of those words. They resonate. Every word that goes inside has its echo and impression and the visuals too. This association of words and experience/ impression and the feelings attached go hand in hand, when repeated they start turning into beliefs. Beliefs are generalizations that are formed with experiences and time. They act like filters from which every impression or word must pass to get an interpretation or meaning. Every word that enters inside our heads comes with a story that keeps on fabricating before it gets registered. Like in the story, when tribals repeated the words every day, the tree started believing them and believed them as true. Tree not only heard the words but also perceived the emotions associated with that expression of people. It could sense the feelings conjoint with the language. Within no time it collapsed.
It is a similar phenomenon in humans also. Our mind is always engaged in listening and speaking to self and others. It processes what is heard and spoken. Some of the phrases that are repeatedly heard turn into beliefs, few are ignored or discarded but some of them get stuck. Our thoughts are the product of our belief system. Overthinking is the result of those stuck or jammed thoughts. It is a cyclic process, the words form the thoughts, they form our feelings and behavior. Words create conversations within and condition our thoughts, which gets reflected in our body language and how we feel for ourselves. Our assertiveness and confidence is the expression of our inner talk.
The narratives that we give to ourselves shape our personality and poise. If we are Self- compassionate and self-caring, we will be more open, positive, and confident. But if feed it with stories and words that are negative, we will gradually feel constricted trapping ourselves in the web of negativity and may land up feeling victimized and miserable. Words are like nutritional supplements for mental health. They are very powerful and transformational. They can create destiny and vice versa.
Unfortunately, most of us fall prey to our own self-deprecating and defeating words. We create blocks/ barriers in our minds that inhibit us from moving in the progressive direction. The fears, phobias, anxiety, insecurities are the cages that we develop inside our minds. They are self-imposed limitations and only our inner strength can cross them. For example thoughts like “I am not enough; I am so stupid; I do not like my body shape; I am not confident” etc., when we speak to ourselves eventually can become true. When these statements are recurrently said are sufficient to drain out positivity and get fixated and manifest. Such thoughts are fast to multiply. A similar thing happened with the tree also, when frequently bad words were said it collapsed. Words play a vital role in driving our life from best to worst or vice versa. Every action that we perform is the manifestation of the words that we utter internally. The big leaders, politicians use powerful words (statements) to influence the masses.
The inner monologue of our mind defines the choices and actions that we do. It is very important that we consciously choose what we tell ourselves and others. Mindful selection of words brings in a mindset that is optimistic and open to new changes. It can dramatically shape our personality that is tall and confident; but hurtful or negative words (if used often) for self and others, can create anxiety and conflicts. The more critical we are for ourselves, the more diminished we feel. Virtuous choice of words is also one very important part of a self-care regime. Hurtful words when spoken to others are not good but when spoken to self are self-sabotaging. They (words) are the strongest form of communication. Let’s not be very hard or harsh on ourselves and have a playful spirit with words that we listen to and preach. Our mind has immense ability to overcome the challenges that life poses but our self-limiting and self-imposed barriers can mow it down. So let us be more affirmative and encouraging because we know that words can turn the tables. The key to self-motivation and confidence is to condition the mind by feeding and reinforcing it with words that are uplifting, cheerful, kind, assuring, and hopeful. Be empathetic and considerate for yourself. Words are powerful and strong.
“Words have magical power. They can either bring the greatest happiness or the deepest despair”
-Sigmund Freud
Very true words are super powerful and leaves impact on every thing of universe very beautifully explained Good keep it up style and language is very impressive