Creating our World with the Power of Language

In the beginning . . . . .

In the beginning, there was the word. Ancient spiritual creation mythologies, including Christianity, create the world with a word. In Hinduism, Brahma, the great creator God, means the “Primal Creative Word” or the “Sacred Word”. The principle of Brahma, as understood by Hindus, is the primal power of the universe and cosmos. In the Christian creation myth, we hear John say “in the beginning, there was the word. And the word was God.” Tibetans say that the entire universe came into being from the mantra “OM”. Words are powerful. Understanding the archetypal backdrop of the power of creation, we begin to understand the power of language to create the world that we live in.

The creative power of language

Sonia had been bitterly complaining about several actions taken by her employer in recent months. She was not alone. There were others who were also unhappy with the state of things. The employer was receptive to people’s concerns and scheduled several meetings where people were encouraged to speak up. After a litany of her complaints, I asked, “did something change as a result of the meetings”? Sonia reluctantly admitted that the employer made some changes which she liked, then without missing a beat, she said “they did it to shut us up”.

“WHOA”, I replied, “I am curious that you framed it that way. You could have received it as something positive. What is the sentiment behind the language you used?” I suspected that there was an unspoken belief that existed. Sonia sat quietly for a few moments. Her head lowered slightly as she went inside her mind. Her silence told me that she was really considering my words, taking them in and pondering them. Sonia looked up and quietly said, “I guess I think that they don’t care about us.”

What is in a word?

Over the course of your life, we speak 860 million words. We utter an average of 16,000 words per day. That is a lot of creative power. However, we are often unconscious of the tone, choice of words, and the tenor of what comes out of our mouths.

• Do your words create a positive effect on the people around you?
• Do you spend your time being negative and complaining about yourself and the world?
• Is your language full of “ “should” and other judgements? How many times have your cursed yourself with your words?

On the golf course, I have witnessed countless times people who curse at themselves when they miss a shot or berate themselves with sentences like, “You are such an idiot” or “You are a failure”. And that’s just over golf!

Psychologist, Carl Jung was acutely aware of the power of thought and imagination in creation. In a 1956 interview, he stated:  “Fantasies are facts. It is fact. When a man has a fantasy, another man might lose his life, or a bridge is built. Everything was a fantasy to begin with. Fantasies are facts even though they are not tangible objects”.

Your thoughts become your words

Sonia’s story reveals hidden beneath her complaints was the feeling of abandonment. She felt abandoned by her employer and believed that she wasn’t being listened to. This belief colours all of her interactions with her boss. Her boss may genuinely be interested in creating a positive atmosphere and will likely be mystified by the fact that any gestures made will fall on deaf ears.

The key is self-awareness and the need to be aware of our feelings and beliefs. We need to ask ourselves what is really going on beneath the words that we say. For example, if we are frustrated with something, we turn to complaining. If we feel powerless or helpless, we throw insults or become cynical and sarcastic. On the other hand, if we feel grateful, we are more willing to say thank you. If we are hopeful and positive about the future, we will encourage and compliment the people around us.
We must listen to ourselves and listen to the words that we are saying. What do our words say about us and what we believe about the world?

Questions for reflection

Do you ever find yourself speaking about yourself or a scenario you’re involved in with negative language? To facilitate an internal shift or transformation, we need to practice doing something different. Try these exercises to help shift any negative talk. Challenge yourself to make positive thinking and language come naturally to you.

• Daily Affirmations – Whether you’re writing them down on paper to read throughout the day or saying them out loud in the mirror to yourself in the morning, positive affirmations are a great way to treat yourself to some positive language. One of the keys to making this method work is to emotionally connect with the language. Try a few affirmations to start. For example, “I love and accept myself completely” or “I am resilient to meet anything that life gives me.”
• Express Gratitude – Whether you do this privately in a journal, out loud to a loved one or even via social media in a daily Facebook or Twitter post, expressing what you are thankful for each day helps remind you that you have some positive things to look forward to. Whether you’re thankful for the house you live you, your family members or even the small things like being able to walk to work, there is so much to be thankful for and professing it helps you appreciate the good things more when you’re struggling.
• Use positive words when talking – This might be tough because this is one of the things we are trying to do more of but just try to speak in positive terms. Try and monitor yourself talking to friends or co-workers and replaying in your head what was said. Did you come across like you were whining or complaining too much? Sometimes it’s not just the words we use but how we use them. Try to avoid the words “no”, “can’t” “should” and “won’t” to start.

Christina Becker
May 2020
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