Understanding the Power of Your Word
What if all it took to enhance your own life and your relationships was to use your words in the direction of truth and love? How would that change the way you communicate with people?
Most people don’t realize just how much power is in their word.
The power in your word can be used positively or negatively - as can the power that you give to the words of others and the impact that you allow others to have on you using their words.
In fact, while many people tend to give an incredible amount of weight to the words of others, in reality the words of others serve as a much closer reflection of who they are than anything else.
So why is it that the words of certain people can have such a powerful impact and influence over us? Even to the extent that they impact our beliefs and judgments. At times incredibly inspiring, and at other times, punishing?
Words can be extremely powerful - especially in the hands of a person who doesn’t realize it.
With your word, you have the power to create life or death, to heal or wound, to create connection or separation.
The fact of the matter is that most people under-estimate and under-appreciate the impact of their words and of their tone in their verbal expressions. If you’ve ever felt hurt by someone’s words or expressions toward you, what that means is that their words activated a pain-point inside of you - while it must be acknowledged that that is your pain-point and you own it - it is also a reality that many people do use their words insensitively and unconsciously in ways that are manipulating, controlling, separating and hurtful. But why?
Because it’s not possible to give to others something that you don’t have.
Typically, individuals who utilize their words as a weapon to cut down others do that same thing to and within themselves. Within their own psyche, they’ve used their words to create suffering, separation, and to otherwise verbally abuse themselves - later they project that pain onto others - sometimes indiscriminately.
Being impeccable in your word means to speak consistently in the direction of truth and love.
To have integrity and honor in your word means you recognize its power and make a conscious decision not to use your words to cut down and inflict pain onto others - or yourself! Rather, you use your words to love and uplift people - including yourself! You choose to speak the truth and factually in all circumstances. You choose not to lie. You choose not to exaggerate. You choose not speak foolishly.
The way that you express yourself is a reflection of your value system. Further, your values are the foundation of your destiny. When you speak, you are speaking either life or death into your destiny and into the destiny of anyone else whose life you are speaking over and have influence on - particularly into the lives of those individuals who are impressionable and whom you are charged to lead or serve - whether that be in your family, friendships, team, or business.
When you live with honor and integrity in your word, you can speak even a hard truth with love and compassion. When you do not live with honor and integrity in your word, others lose trust in you and you come across as unreliable and undependable. You teach people that they can’t trust that you will do what you say or say what you’re going to do. You will lose relationships as friends, family, partners, and clients push you away. You’ll lose business opportunities to other organizations whose service promise is more trustworthy.
We challenge you today, not only to acknowledge that your word has power, but to place being impeccable in your word on the highest tier of your value system. When you make this decision, the first thing you’ll notice is the need to start with the way that you speak to yourself through your internal dialogue. Secondarily, you can begin to work on becoming non-reactive and on improving your communication skills in your relationships - perhaps also engaging in relationship repair in relationships where trust has been compromised.
Speaking with honor and integrity in your word will change your life.
You will show up with more boundaries and you will attract high-value relationships with people who value living with honor and integrity as well. You attract what you are - your outer world is a reflection of your inner world.
This blog post was inspired by the first of the four agreements, “Be Impeccable with Your Word”, in the best-selling book by Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements.
Stay Edgy-
Coach Oriana Guevára, MHR, MBA
Co-Founder, The Edgy Entrepreneur
© Edgy Entrepreneur, LLC. • 51 E. Jefferson St. #3292, Orlando, FL 32802 • www.edgyentrepreneurs.com
