Over the last several years it has become very clear to me that our words have a great deal of power. As a result, I am much more conscious of the words that I choose. I used to say things like, “I’m starving”, “My feet are killing me”, “This drives me crazy”, “I’m freezing” etc. Now I do my best to say things that are more positive, more life-affirming and more in harmony with what I am wishing to experience. As a result, I find that I no longer feel sharp hunger pains, my feet rarely hurt, and no matter how upset I might feel about something, I don’t ever feel like I am going crazy.
I have also noticed in the winter that I do not feel that bone-chilling cold feeling anymore no matter how cold it is when I am outside. When I begin to feel cold, I tell myself, “I am feeling cold and I hope to be warm soon.” A friend of mine told me that when she feels cold she visualizes sitting on a warm beach in the Bahamas. (I thought this was quite brilliant and have tried this approach myself. I find that it does help to distract me, which is quite useful when one is feeling uncomfortable).
I encourage you to experiment with your words and to notice what you say and how it makes you feel. Our bodies are very wise and they take what we say quite literally. It can also be quite enlightening and sometimes easier to notice what other people say and what they experience. For example, I once heard a woman with incredibly significant heart problems, who had already undergone open heart surgery say, “My heart just breaks for her” when discussing a situation that she found upsetting about someone she cared about. A friend once told me about a woman she had known who would always say that if she was not in a relationship by the time she was 40, then she was “out of here”. My friend encouraged her not to say such a thing, however, she did not listen. When this woman turned 40, she was not in a relationship. She developed a terminal illness and was, indeed, “out of here”.
I often remind myself that I choose optimal health and optimal functioning at all times. This helps me to remember that it is a choice and that it is what I am choosing to experience. I hope you will choose your words more wisely and that you will create your life to be more in harmony with what your highest vision is for yourself.
About Felicia Weiss, Ph.D.
Felicia co-publishes the Holistic Networker and produces the Wellness Expo. In her spare time, Felicia enjoys reading and working in the garden.
