Your Words Have Power
Everyone loves the famous one-line phrase from Dirty Dancing where Patrick Swayze says, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” It symbolizes being pushed aside and unimportant. That is exactly how I felt when the catchphrase, “You are to be seen and not heard” was tossed at me as a young child. I had better shut up and fade into the background quietly, without a word coming from my mouth before the evil eye of an adult swooped down and landed on me. My heart was shut down and scared away before I could get started with my own exciting story.
It would be easy to blame the one who spread this phrase like butter on fresh bread, and I did for many years until the day arrived and my own realization slammed me in the face. I chose to believe that nothing I had to say would matter. Whether I was a nine-year-old with a budding desire to speak or a lot older offering words of wisdom, the feeling was all the same. Deep down I hung onto an old belief that implied my unspoken words would not make a hill-of-beans difference to anyone. I then had to make another choice. I chose to think differently. I didn’t want to, but in order for my life to change for the better, I had to. I found the courage to come out of the shell that protected me from being who I was, so that I could become a brighter light for myself and one that could help others.
My story changed and yours can too.
Slowly but surely, my eyes started to open to the lie that my soul picked up as truth. I realized that I had a lot to say and there were many people that wanted to listen. I had to find the ones that were in the same boat and rowing the choppy waters as me. Navigating against the incoming tide is not easy, but once you get going it becomes easier to not break your stride. Eventually you will find yourself floating in the calm still waters of peace when you replace the false claims and untruths that have a hold on you. It is important to replace these beliefs of who you think you are with the ones of who you can become.
It is in these moments that you find your voice; the one that has a lot to say.
That’s when your story begins to change.
To become the hearer of great wisdom, you will have to do more listening. This is a vital part to shedding the darkness of unkind thoughts about yourself and the beliefs that no longer bring comfort to your soul. You must listen to the voice of your higher power in order to hear the real truth of who you are.
There comes a time to listen, but make no mistake, there is never a time to not be heard. Those days are over. If only my young mind could have comprehended this earlier in life, but it did not. Becoming self-aware of your thought patterns will help you break the ever-circling cycle of negative reminders of who you aren’t.
Let’s pick up the pieces of confusion and lay them out on the table so we can eliminate them once and for all. When rearranged in our life they should look something like this….
· Never underestimate your self-worth by the thoughts you choose.
· You have something to say. Speak your truth, not someone else’s.
· What you have to say is important; maybe not to everyone, but to someone.
· Find your voice. If it has been buried alive, dig it up, dust it off, and start using it.
Knowledge is power and words matter. It is not very wise to bulldoze each other with slogans of expression that can plow through someone’s heart. When speaking to yourself or to others, choose your words carefully. Like picking flowers from a garden, choose the ones that are beautiful, bright, and beaming with uplifting potential, for those are the ones that make a difference in your life and to the ones that need to hear them. Words that do not come from the heart tend to cause more harm than good.
Let me show you what I am talking about.
When we speak slowly and with intention our comments can be encouraging. They can stir another heart to respond with love instead of anger, hurt, and resentment. This in turn can draw you closer to the recipient of your kindness. Think about a time when you spoke a sweet gesture to a stranger. When they smiled back at you in agreement, did your heart flutter just a little as a signal of approval from above?
That is what happened when I raced to the checkout counter only to be beat by a teenage mom in a hurry. If I did not know better, I would have pegged her for a race car driver the way she wheeled her cart in front of me! I chose to offer her kindness instead of the insult that was ready to roll off my tongue. I helped her load her baby food, diapers, and other dry goods onto the conveyer belt. We became instant friends as I listen to her talk ninety-miles-per-hour about her pride and joy, the ten-month old toddler that called her mama. She was rushing to get to work on time but her baby required a few necessities. Who would I be to hold up someone trying to do the right thing? I did not want to be another discouraging voice, so I chose to smile as I offered my help and a silent prayer that her world would not be turned upside down that day because I wanted to go first. I gave her what I wanted when I was her age; a chance to be seen and to be heard. It was in the spirit of giving that I received the tug of compassion for the soon to be adult. For a quick moment, our hearts beat as one leaving us both filled with peace.
It all starts with a thought and then a voice, followed by action. When we simply choose to think different thoughts and change our perspective about our situation, we can then move on and become a positive voice to ourselves and others. Our beliefs can often trip us up into being pushed into a corner where we think no one cares or wants to listen to what we have to say, but that does not have to be your reality. You were born to be seen and to be heard, and that is the truth.
If you are struggling to see past the hurt that is crippling your thoughts, then let me help you organize your mind in a way that will help you to see yourself from a different perspective.
Much love and appreciation for you.
