I have to smile whenever I think about language and what I learned in high school English class. Back then language consisted of punctuation, verbs, nouns and the proper use of words. Although all of that may have been encompassed in my early education, there would be so much more to language that I would utilize in my future than I realized at the time.

Our brains are immeasurably incredible.

If you were to examine one day of your life, including replaying the language you speak, what would you notice? How has the spoken language affected you? Have you noticed the effects of words and their impact on individuals physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually?

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)

NLP: The words or language you and I use create neurons paths to our brain. The role of a neuron is to send, receive and interpret information. Another approach to understanding NLP is that it is the reprogramming of our brain with the use of language.

Let me share a situation in which I personally experienced the effects of the language I chose:

Dad passed in November. As Dad’s life came to a close, my brother and I had to come together to finalize many things, including what to do with his house, our childhood home.

Long story short, my brother decided he would buy my share and live out his life with his family there. I was in total agreement with the decision. I stopped by the house during the renovation stage and the finalization hit me: witnessing walls down to the studs and everything torn out hit me like a ton of bricks and I had to step outside. Later I took a neighbor in for a look, and before we entered I said, “The house is very overwhelming right now.” This “overwhelming” feeling lingered for days. I was an emotional wreck.

Following a coaching conversation, I recognized and remembered that once I spoke “overwhelm” into existence, I owned it lock, stock and barrel. I became what I spoke. Overwhelmed meant finalization; this was no longer my home that I had grown up in and then occupied again for the last ten years—and Dad was really gone.

I chose to reset with a positive-state-of-being vs. a negative one.

Instead of “overwhelmed,” I spoke “joy” into existence. Instant relief resulted from choosing wisely! Joy was a new beginning, a new chapter, and happiness for my brother to make the house his own.

Words hold mega power.

What are you speaking into existence? Choose language that is going to make you, not break you.