Are you aware of the power of words and how they can help you achieve your goals? Poison words, antidote words, metaphors, I tell you more in this article.
Intuitively, we know that words like victory, success, love, recognition… resonate differently in us than sadness, betrayal, failure, depression… Some of them, like the words “poisons” and “antidotes” will even directly trigger different reactions in our listeners.
The power of poisonous words, antidotes and metaphors
Poison” words will reflect polarized thinking (black or white), have a strong emotional impact (“you always want to be right”, “you never understand anything”, etc.) and trigger a strong reaction, which is also polarized (often wrong).
The “antidote” words will be more nuanced and have a more moderate impact, encouraging exchange and discussion (often, sometimes, etc.).
Metaphors will translate our state by associating several words in an imaginary way, such as
- I am at the end of my rope,
- I am in 7th heaven,
- I am happy as a clam,
- I carry a burden,
- I see life in pink.
Replace a word with another
Replacing a word with another is also an excellent strategy to change perspective, or to clarify a “dirty” word. Tony ROBBINS is a master of this for me. One of the things that impressed me when I participated in “Unleash Your Power Within” in 2019 was his ability to juggle words and use them as synonyms: “Health = Energy”, “Happiness = Progress”, etc.
Four modes of expression
When we think about it, words can be expressed in at least four ways: either silently in our head (our little voice), or audibly when we pronounce or hear them, or visually when we read them, or kinesthetically when we write them.
The effect produced will thus be potentially different; for example, we would have up to about 60000 thoughts per day, of which 48000 (i.e. 80%) would be negative. Putting some of them on paper (our goals for the day, past moments for which we feel gratitude) will give them more importance since we select them from the mass of our thoughts. Saying them out loud will activate different regions of our brain and bring an extra dimension.
The good news is that we can choose the words and metaphors that can help us transform ourselves for the better, instantly. Making this choice consciously is therefore crucial, as mentioned in the first Toltec agreement (“Let your words be impeccable”).
This is obviously also true for those we hear. Listening to a motivational podcast or video or chatting with someone who inspires you is going to be empowering. Again, we have some freedom of choice.
What about you, does it speak to you? Do you repeat metaphors that carry you or hold you back? Feel free to share in comments!