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SECTION TITLE<br />
Article Title<br />
THE POWER<br />
OF WORDS<br />
Think Before You Speak<br />
SECTION TITLE<br />
Article Title<br />
BY DEBBIE SMITH<br />
UR WORDS ARE POWERFUL! Whoever came up<br />
the the statement, “Sticks and stones may break<br />
my bones but words will never hurt me”, was way<br />
off! Our words have the power to encourage, create, heal,<br />
hurt, humiliate, or harm.<br />
Growing up I would make statements like “I’m<br />
stupid” and my mom would correct me and say, “don’t<br />
say that over yourself you might start believing it.”<br />
What are you speaking over your life and circumstances?<br />
When you make positive or negative statements<br />
over yourself you are affirming the way that you feel,<br />
and sometimes our feelings lie. You will grow whatever<br />
you focus your attention on. There are times in my life<br />
when my circumstances and feelings weren’t so great.<br />
When I gave attention to those negative emotions and<br />
circumstances (life), I found myself staying in those<br />
seasons longer. But when I made the decision to speak<br />
out hopeful things even though I couldn’t see them yet.<br />
My circumstances didn’t always change right away but<br />
the energy around me did. It changed to one of hope<br />
and more joy and eventually my circumstances changed<br />
as well.<br />
The way that your life is currently going may<br />
be a reflection upon the words that you have been<br />
consistently speaking and agreeing with.<br />
The good news about the power of the spoken<br />
word, is you have the power to change your words; and<br />
to create the life that you desire.<br />
In order to change your life to one that you<br />
desire; you must declare to be or to have whatever it is<br />
that you desire or hope for, before you actually see the<br />
evidence of it!<br />
What does this look like? I make declarations<br />
or affirmations over myself daily. So before I make the<br />
choice to allow my emotions or circumstances to dictate<br />
my day. I speak out what I desire my day to look like. I will<br />
say out loud things like, “Today is going to be a great day”,<br />
“I am going to have influence and favor with the people<br />
I come in contact with”, “everywhere I go I spread joy<br />
and hope not just with my words but even in my eyes<br />
and smile”, “I have peace and make great decisions”!<br />
These affirmations set my day up for what I desire for<br />
my day. Even when things go differently I have a more<br />
positive outlook and the negative doesn’t and can’t stick<br />
because I made a choice to agree with what I desire and<br />
hope for instead.<br />
Who can do this? Everyone! Even your children<br />
can learn this. I have a friend who is a kindergarten<br />
teacher and everyday she has her students put their<br />
hands on their heads and say “brains wake up!, it’s<br />
going to be a great day, I am smart and I listen well, I am<br />
kind and I love learning” (or something close to that) She<br />
has said she has noticed a difference in her students<br />
especially the ones who had previously been difficult.<br />
They are becoming some of her best students now. Wow<br />
the power of the spoken word!<br />
Remember you have the power to create with<br />
your words. What life are you creating?<br />
Debbie Smith is the Co-Director of Hope<br />
City. She and her husband Dan oversee the<br />
school based out of Stockton, California. The<br />
couple has been married 25 years. Debbie is<br />
also an instructor for California State University<br />
Stanislaus Wellness Words Program. <br />
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