Take some time to reflect on the words you use every day. What kinds of words are they? Do they tend to be positive or negative?
Words are an expression of what we think and feel. They help us share our hearts with people around us, encourage, inspire as well as humiliate and harm them. With our words, we can bring peace or stir up strife.
Luke 6:45, NLT says that what you say flows from what is in your heart. This means that the words you use are a reflection of your inner being, your beliefs, convictions, and perception. So, if you want to change your words (if they are negative), you have to look at your heart first, your emotions, and your thoughts.
What causes your words to be negative?
- Anger. When you face injustice and feel that you are being treated unfairly or when you don’t feel appreciated, it’s easy to give in to anger and talk negatively. Other things that may trigger anger are stress, pain, frustration, fear, life events, and the list goes on.
- Thinking that you are not good enough. You feel inadequate and are always critical of yourself.
- Comparing with others. This causes you to be envious and robs your joy. You will either wish to be like someone else or will devalue others to feel better.
- Unable to accept your past. Life is unpredictable and unfortunately, some events that happen bring sadness and pain. When you still dwell on them and refuse to let go, you remain stuck in the past.
- You feel sorry for yourself. You often think that you are a victim, that everyone is out there to get you. So, you complain and blame others.
- You tend to focus on the negative. You are always anticipating things going wrong even when they are not.
- Pride. When you think you are superior to others, you tend to criticize and judge people around you, what they do or don’t do.
- Anxiety. You seem to always worry about something that is beyond your control.
How to change your words for the better?
To adjust the way you speak, it is necessary to work on your thoughts and emotions.
- Trust God and let go. When things don’t go as planned and you feel anxious, turn to God for peace and ask Him to show you the right path. Don’t rely on your own strength and ways. God knows what’s best for you.
- Know that God made you in a beautiful and wonderful way (Psalm139) and He loves you. Learn to love yourself and change the way you talk to yourself. Be kind and compassionate towards you.
- Find your purpose. God created you on purpose for a purpose with gifts and talents. Discover them, find your passion and you will feel fulfilled.
- Forgive yourself and others for mistakes or pain that has been inflicted. Forgiveness will release all the negative emotions and help you move forward.
- Accept your life with all its joys and sufferings. It’s ok if it’s not perfect. Nobody has a perfect life. Every person is on a different journey and is fighting a battle you may not be aware of.
- Be grateful. Look at what you already have and count your blessings even the smallest ones.
- Reframe your way of thinking. Rather than seeing the negative aspect in every circumstance, try to focus on what’s positive and learn a lesson from it even from difficult ones.
- Be mindful of your emotions. When anger rises, take some time to calm down. Know that it’s ok to be angry, so just take a few minutes to sit with it and understand where it’s coming from. But try not to react out of anger.
- When negative thoughts come into your mind, identify them and replace them with positive affirmations.
- Choose wisely the people you surround yourself with. Whether they are optimists or pessimists, they will affect your well-being.
When you choose to reprogram the way you think and speak, you will develop a new attitude that will bring changes to your personal life. You will experience new growth and become a better person each day.
The words you choose will shape your future.
Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
The good news is you are not alone. God is with you and will help you if you ask Him. He created you and knows why He created you for. He will give you the strength to overcome challenges and negativity. He will guide you in truth if you put your confidence in Him.
If as a woman you want to be more positive, I’d love to connect. Book a free discovery session on Cindy@anewforpurpose.com
