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Change ONE Word, Change YOUR Life

  • Jan 28, 2022
  • 4 min read

Updated: Mar 27, 2024

Written by: Jeff Wickersham, Executive Contributor

Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.

Learn to speak the language of greatness.


How we speak has such a profound impact on the results we get in life.


Yet those words, the language we use to communicate what we’ll do, isn’t taught in schools at any grade level.


It is not analyzed as we grow up.

I don’t think my parents ever even thought about the impact it would have on our growth once we grew up.


The most amazing discovery I’ve found is the power in our language.


How we speak, the words we speak, either future paces our success or failure. The words are subtle because you can speak them so effortlessly, yet our subconscious minds are picking up everything that we say.


Imagine that power just by how you speak. There is such power in words.


It’s not our fault. We didn’t know any better. However, it is our responsibility to change our language if we want to achieve greatness.


Being a peak performance coach, I strive to guide my clients to operate with a language that is empowering, passionate and future paces success.


Many times, it comes down to one single word.

If you remove, replace, or add one word it changes everything.


Don’t think so?


Let me share a few examples with you to show the power of language.


I want you to speak these sentences out loud as you read them to feel the full effect.


I’ll TRY to go to the gym tomorrow.


I AM going to the gym tomorrow.


Did you feel the difference?


TRY gives you an out.


Visualize this picture. You are standing in a room with the door you want to go through right in front of you. As you say the word TRY, all of a sudden, a door appears behind you. You cannot see it as you are looking forward towards the door you want to go through.


Unbeknownst to you, as you were focusing on the door to step through, your subconscious mind left your body and snuck out that back door. Now, as hard as you try, you still can’t step through the door you were looking at right in front of you.


You mind is actually fighting against you.


The mind looks for the easy way out. That door behind you is easy to open. Easier than the effort, hard work and determination it will take to step through a door that is uncomfortable.

It allows your mind to sneak out the back door if conditions, circumstances, or your emotions aren’t exactly perfect in that moment.


With I AM, you declare there is no alternative, and you are telling your mind what is going to happen.


You are telling the mind that you are in charge and this is what is going to happen. Like a sheep, the mind gets in line to go.


Powerful and profound.


Let’s look at another example:


I HAVE to go to the grocery store


I GET to go to the grocery store.


When you use HAVE to, it feels heavy, almost like a burden.


When you use GET to, it feels like a privilege, something you should be excited about.


One last example of how impactful the language you speak can be:


I haven’t made the money that I want to make.


I haven’t made the money that I want to make YET.


In the first statement you are defeated. You don’t see a future. It’s absolute.


In the second statement, you are future pacing your success with one simple word, YET.


Adding that word to the sentence tells your mind that you will get there in the future. It inspires and creates that vision of future success.


Here is a short list of words to avoid. I’ve added words that imply an absolute.

Why?


Nothing is certain in life accept death. Absolutes close our minds off to the possibilities that are out there.


Words and phrases to ELIMINATE from your vocabulary:


Try, should, could, maybe, have to, possibly, always, never, impossible, busy, overwhelmed, swamped, perhaps, I’ll do it tomorrow


How did you feel as you read through them?


Did some jump off the page as you thought about recently using them?


Here are some words and phrases to ADD to your vocabulary as you replace the words above.


Get to, must, yet (at the end of something you haven’t done yet), I am (before a statement of what you are going to accomplish).


Notice the difference in the number of words in both sections. The words to eliminate outnumber the words to use two to one.


We have so many more excuse words in our vocabulary than we do powerful words that inspire us to take action.


To put this into action, put two notes up where you can see them each and every day. They could be on your computer screen, your mirror in the bathroom, the refrigerator or your journal. One has the words to eliminate. The other has the words to add.


Keeping those visible, you will be much more aware of your language.


As you speak, you will catch yourself and replace those words.


Your language and actions will become powerful.


The results will be staggering.


Replace one word and you can change your life.


If this article helped you want you want more FIRE in your life, go out to


Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info!

Jeff Wickersham, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine

Jeff Wickersham, is a leading morning routine coach specializing in guiding clients to implement the 4-step Morning Fire methodology for increased energy, focus, abundance and time in their days. Since he lost his mother to breast cancer 6 1/2 years ago, he has been on a mission to inspire, lead, guide and make an impact on the world. He lives by his mantra Rise, Fight, Love, Repeat which is also the name of his 1 best-selling book, Rise, Fight, Love, Repeat – Ignite Your Morning Fire. He is the host of the top-rated podcast, Morning Fire for Entrepreneurs which interviews inspiring entrepreneurs on their morning habits and their path to success.

 
 

This article is published in collaboration with Brainz Magazine’s network of global experts, carefully selected to share real, valuable insights.

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