The Power of Language

We live in language. Everything we do is immersed in language. And yet, most of us don’t cultivate the power of our word. Language is a tool that we can’t put down, which makes it crucial to learn how to best use it.

Most people think of language as merely a form of communication. We don’t even notice that it’s a belief, we see it as fact. But there’s a much greater power that we have access to. 

Language does more than just communicate, it creates. It does not simply describe things, it generates them. 

It’s something we do every day, but reconceptualizing it and bringing your focus to it in this way will help you be more conscious and purposeful so that you can more effectively create results. 

How does Language create?

Your “yes” is a declaration that creates something. Your company wouldn’t exist without someone declaring it to be. We speak ourselves into the world. 

Think about your workplace culture. As a leader, the conversations you have--or don’t--create “the way we do things around here.” 

We have more power than we realize, but the ways we use this power is limited by what we think is possible. As we go through life we:

1) make up stories about the world

2) believe them to be the truth and then

3) forget we made them up. 

The stories and explanations that we create help us make meaning of the world. Most of the time we aren’t aware of them, much less intentionally constructing them. This leaves us with a worldview that shapes what we believe to be possible, and therefore what actions we take and what results we achieve. 

How do we cultivate the Power of Language?

This single question can help you look at your worldview instead of looking through it and design a better path forward:

“Is your explanation powerful, or not powerful, given the results you say you want?”

Although it doesn’t always feel that way, you have a choice in how you explain the events of your life. Could there be another explanation that opens up more possibilities for you?

1. Distinguish event from explanation. What are the facts of the situation? How am I interpreting them?
2. Assess your story. Does it help you get closer to your intended outcome? Or does it make you feel powerless?
3. Declare a new reality. Insofar as your perception is your reality, you have the power to shift how you relate to your goals and challenges in a way that expands your range of responses.

You have the power to declare a new reality into existence with your words. What’s the most incredible future you can imagine--for yourself and your company? What will it take to make it happen?

If you want individualized support to help you cultivate the power of your word, schedule your free 20-minute discovery session now. I’ll help you re-imagine greater possibilities for your future, uncover the subtle ways you’re blocking yourself, and help you create a plan for greater success.

Reference:

Brothers, Chalmers. Language and the Pursuit of Happiness.