There is an old Sufi saying: before you speak, let your words pass through three gates:
At the first gate, ask yourself: ‘Is it true?’At the second gate, ask yourself: ‘Is it necessary?’ At the third gate, ask yourself: ‘Is it kind?’
According to the Rigveda, widely considered to be the world’s oldest spiritual text, all sounds have vibrational energy attached to them. And when you hear these triggers, you may experience a certain emotion and respond in a certain way.
The words you use in your everyday language to yourself and others can have a major impact on how you feel.
This is because your words have meaning and power; what you choose to say about someone can become a reflection on you and your values. Thoughts you focus your attention on and the words you say to others and to yourself can have a major impact on the person you become?
Your words reflect your beliefs, drive your actions which in turn helps to create many of the results you experience in your life. Integrity of thought, word and action means you speak from the heart in a manner that allows your words to be consistent with your values.
Words you use today can influence the world you experience tomorrow, as language you use today impacts on the life you lead tomorrow. Words can influence, inspire and influence positive change, or denigrate, destruct and destroy. Words can help, heal and inspire hope or words can hurt and humiliate.
What you say to yourself and to others matters.
Consider being more uplifting with your language to feel better yourself, in addition to inspiring those around you. Wherever your words go your emotional energy flows. Remember that the quality of the conversations you have in part determines the quality of your life. Being more generous with your words, being more of an encourager can make a real difference.
Self-talk is a term for your inner conversation, the continuous dialogue and tape that is playing 24/7, with an endless commentary about life, your problems, and other people. So often it judges, blames and complains, telling you all the reasons why you can’t achieve your goals, or why it’s too late to make positive changes. Emerson, the American philosopher, wrote that you are what you think about all day long. What you tell yourself in your mind can become the basis on which you determine your experience of reality. It can become so automatic and engrained that it forms the foundations of who you are.
Imagine you reframe your negative self-talk into more realistic self-talk.
Not some delusional pollyanna positivity that pretends that negative emotions or tough times don’t happen in real life. I mean giving yourself some self compassion, speaking to yourself the way you might support and encourage a good friend.
Turning down your inner critic and tuning more into your inner coach to support you in reframing the internal landscape of your mind.
And your self-talk is already there as a powerful force in your life; it is not something you have to create. Self-talk can help determine your ‘X factor’ and the likelihood of the successful completion of a task or accomplishment of a goal. You see it isn’t enough to simply plan and get ready; you need to take action and get started and more realistic self-talk through the lens of encouragement and self compassion can allow you to do just that.
Of course it’s not just what you say, the influence of language applies to the written word as well.
Reading the inspiring words of others and applying them to your own life in whatever way makes sense can be incredibly uplifting.
Reading the great biographies offers an opportunity to better understand some of the greatest thinkers the world has ever known.
So, here are some of my personal favourite quotes which I hope you find interesting and inspiring in equal measure.
‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’
–Maya Angelou
‘We all have two lives and our second life starts the day we realise we only have one life.’
Confucius
‘Be the change you want to see in the world.’
Gandhi
‘At the centre of your being you have the answer; you know who you are & what you want.’
Lao Tsu
‘When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.’
Paulo Coelho
‘When you are inspired by some great purpose or extraordinary project;
All your thoughts break their bonds
Your mind transcends limitations
Your consciousness expands in every direction
You find yourself in a brave & wonderful new world
Dormant forces faculties and talents awaken within you
And you find yourself to be greater than you ever thought possible.’
Patanjali
‘If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it wouldn’t seem wonderful at all.’
Michelangelo
‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.’
Leonardo Da Vinci
‘The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.’
Pablo Picasso
‘What you think and believe, you become.’
Buddha
‘Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.’
St. Francis of Assisi
