The other day I was walking along the street behind a man, who had a small child on his shoulders. The boy, who must have been around five, was wobbling around, and said ‘Daddy, I’m scared.’ By way of reassurance and as a natural instinct, Daddy replied, ‘don’t worry, you won’t fall.’
To most people this seems like a perfectly natural thing to say, but language is so powerful to our unconscious minds, especially between the ages of 0-7; the imprint age. It is at this age that we learn to walk, talk, read, write, ride a bike….we also learn how to fall, fail and try. By saying ‘don’t worry’, the focus is on worrying, and by saying ‘you won’t fall’, the focus is on falling.
Talking about the art of positive language recently and using the above example, I was challenged in that this would be too hard to change our language and have to think about how to use language positively. This response is not uncommon, but scary that people would believe themselves unable to re-learn the language they already use to make it so people are happy.
To most people this seems like a perfectly natural thing to say, but language is so powerful to our unconscious minds, especially between the ages of 0-7; the imprint age. It is at this age that we learn to walk, talk, read, write, ride a bike….we also learn how to fall, fail and try. By saying ‘don’t worry’, the focus is on worrying, and by saying ‘you won’t fall’, the focus is on falling.
Talking about the art of positive language recently and using the above example, I was challenged in that this would be too hard to change our language and have to think about how to use language positively. This response is not uncommon, but scary that people would believe themselves unable to re-learn the language they already use to make it so people are happy.
Daddy would only need to have said, ‘that's ok, you’re safe with me.’ Is that really so hard?
So what language are you using? What does it say about you? It may even reflect your parents own limiting beliefs, or your grandparents…saying ‘it’s in the genes’ could literally mean that you are passing down fears and beliefs of not being capable or not being good enough, simply by the language you are using.
So, Christmas and a new year is coming, and I personally love this time of year. It’s a perfect opportunity to remind people to be happy, to focus on what is truly important, to spend time with friends and family, to reflect on successes and set new goals, and a great time to wish those who need reminding, a happy Christmas with a smile.
So for all those who have a new year’s resolution, start by being mindful of your language, listen to what you are saying and how you are saying it. To achieve those goals you must first think you can and believe it. Need help? Coaching using NLP, Time Line Therapy and Hypnosis produces fantastic results and propels you towards those goals.
So, Christmas and a new year is coming, and I personally love this time of year. It’s a perfect opportunity to remind people to be happy, to focus on what is truly important, to spend time with friends and family, to reflect on successes and set new goals, and a great time to wish those who need reminding, a happy Christmas with a smile.
So for all those who have a new year’s resolution, start by being mindful of your language, listen to what you are saying and how you are saying it. To achieve those goals you must first think you can and believe it. Need help? Coaching using NLP, Time Line Therapy and Hypnosis produces fantastic results and propels you towards those goals.
RSS Feed