Watch your thoughts and Language

This article is a reprint of an article by Christine Kane. Performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane publishes her ‘LiveCreative’ weekly ezine with more than 4,000 subscribers. If you want to be the artist of your life and create authentic and lasting success, you can sign up for a FRE*E subscription to LiveCreative at www.christinekane.com. WANT TO SEE HUNDREDS MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE? See Christine’s blog - Be Creative. Be Conscious. Be Courageous - at ChristineKane.com/blog.

A few years ago, I was in a car with the promoter of one of my performances. He had picked me up at the airport and was driving me to my hotel. On the way, we talked guitars. We got onto the subject of Olson Guitars, arguably the best guitar in the whole world. At one point, the promoter said, “Yea, well, in my entire life I’ll never own an Olson guitar.”

There was a time when I’d let a remark like this slide on by, even adding my own “me either” to the mix. Now, I can’t. Yoda steps into my head and says, (in his Yoda voice) “So certain are you. Always with you it cannot be done.”

So, I turned to the promoter and said, “You are NOT allowed to say that!”
This is because I know the power of language. When you know that words become things, it’s hard to let language slide.

I can’t help it. I have a rule: Friends don’t let friends speak crappily.

Language is powerful. Words can create reality. Even if my promoter friend doesn’t know how on earth he’d ever get his guitar, it doesn’t mean he should cut off the possibility with his own words.

If you’re wondering how to begin watching your words, here are 7 practical language principles for becoming a better creator of your life.

1 - Eliminate “never” and “always.”
Never and always are words of hysteria. “I always mess everything up!” “I’ll never figure this out!” “I’ll never get an Olson Guitar.” First off, it’s not true. If you always messed everything up, you wouldn’t have made it out of the womb. And second off, extreme words are designed to hook you. It’s just your emotions taking a joyride. You’re more powerful than that.

2 - Use AND instead of BUT.
“But” dismisses the statement before it. “And” includes it. For instance, “That’s a good article, but it needs some editing” isn’t nearly as encouraging as “That’s a good article, AND it needs some editing.” “I love you, but…” is another great example of the dismissive power of “but.”

3 - Avoid “Should.”
Should is a heinous word for many reasons. It is victim-speak. It disempowers its object. It negates desires, thereby making it harder to make choices. It adds a nebulous energy to the decision making process. Use empowered language instead: “I could…” “I would…” “I am choosing to,” “I would like to,” “I don’t want to,” or “You might consider…”

4 - Stop calling yourself depressed.
Also stop allowing anyone to tell you that you are depressed. When you call yourself “depressed” or “obsessive compulsive” or “ADHD” or whatever - you’re claiming this thing. You’re calling it forth with the most powerful two words in our language: “I am.” That creates very little option for the transformation of this condition.

5 - Delete the word “hate” from your vocabulary.
“Hate” has lots of energy. When you use it, you send lots of energy out into the very thing you “hate.” Even if it’s negative energy, it’s still a powerful force, adding its charge to that thing. You’re also depleting this energy from your own spirit as you say it.

6 - Be “great.” Or “wonderful.”
A disease of the creative temperament is a belief that we must be authentic at all costs. So we can’t answer a simple “How are you?” without delving into an in-depth scan of our emotional temperature. Try this instead: When people ask you how you’re doing, just say, “I’m great!” I used to think if said this, then I better have a good reason for saying it, like I just won the lottery or something. I thought it would make me look suspicious, and people would start to wonder if something was wrong with me. But then I did it. And you know what? Most people don’t care why you’re great. You’re saying it for you.

7 - Pay attention to the music of your speech.
You know how some people? They talk in question marks? And you have no idea why? But it makes you think you shouldn’t really rely on them? And it makes you not want to hire them?

The music of your language says a lot about you. If you let your sentences droop like Eeyore, (”Thanks for noticing me.”) or if you do the uncertain question mark language, take note of what attitudes are causing this. These patterns are created for a reason. Even if it feels like faking it at first, generate confidence as you speak.

NOTES: As you can see by these mindless meanderings, I read, hear or experience things and use them as catalysts to enlighten my life. This is just one more example “AND” it is a very powerful concept. There are a couple of good movies / documentaries that apply to this same philosophy, they are: “What the Bleep do We Know” and “The Secret”.

What we say and what we imagine can shape the outcome of our potential futures as well as our attitudes emotions and even our character. I have a friend of mine who uses an image of Darth Vader as his wallpaper on his computer. Ii thought to myself and even asked him, is that what you want to become? You want to be consumed by evil and the dark side. Its interesting to note that this same friend is the one who emailed me this article. Positive images and affirmations are the Warriors way of programming our days and thoughts. We should use positive words that create positive energy. If we continually use the same positive words, statements, images and mental pictures we will become those positive energies.

As I woke up this morning and contemplated the meaning of life along with giving thanks for the day and all the treasures that I have, a word popped into my mind “Jerk” now I know someone who like to use this word when she describes someone who may have angered her. She is still young and has many lessons in life to learn. The thought still wandered around my mind at how the use of this word can affect her future as well as the perception of those people she uses this negative word for. Rather than saying that person is a Jerk she should take responsibility for her own emotions and be saying that “I” am angry.

People have a tendency to project their own angers and frustrations onto others. Other people do not create our anger or emotions, we create them ourselves. If someone cuts us off in traffic we become angry or upset, even spurred into road rage and retaliation, all for the most part over an incident that the other driver may be completely unaware of but, some people sit in their cars stewing and brewing over the incident until their heart rate rises along with their blood pressure and their whole day is ruined because of what? We create this anger and frustration.

We can create peace and love as well as anger and hostility, it is our choice to create the emotion and reactions that we “choose”. If we choose the negative side then we are responsibility for all the negative effects that go along with that. If we create positive energies then our days will be filled with peace and harmony.

What we see and how we feel on a daily basis will affect what we become. I choose peace and harmony, it brings a wondrous state of happiness to my life and the outcome of my days. Pleasure and Pain are just an impulse of the nerves, it is our own brain and how it has been programmed that dictates how it is thought, not necessarily felt.

Look into your own lives a see if there are areas that you are creating negative energy. Remember your projected energy can be felt by others and if it is negative, it will create negative reactions and situations. If it is positive then the same will be felt and returned. I can only feel compassion for those people that do not understand this way. They are in an endless loop of negativity created by themselves. I only hope that some day they will break the circle and see the world for they way it truly is “Just the World”. We are the creators of our own world, watch what you ask for, you just might get it!

I am the Peaceful Warrior,
I am the Samurai,

GhostDog