The Neuroscience Behind Your Words
You can’t do it or you won’t do it? What exactly are you telling yourself?
Your word choice has a tremendous impact on your psyche and reality.
Research shows that our word choice affects us on a deep psychological level, and plays a significant role in the outcome of our lives.
One Single Word Has the Power to Influence Your Reality
Scientists studying the power of words and their effect on the human mind have proven that negative words actually release stress and anxiety-inducing hormones in the human body. And they don’t have to be spoken aloud to cause distress. Negative words, whether spoken, heard or thought, contribute to long-term anxiety.
According to neuroscientists, one single word has the power to influence the expression of genes that regulate physical and emotional stress. This means that thinking and speaking positive words can quite literally change one’s reality.
Dr. Andrew Newberg and Mark Waldman authors of Words Can Change Your Brain:
“By holding a positive and optimistic [word] in your mind, you stimulate frontal lobe activity. This area includes specific language centers that connect directly to the motor cortex responsible for moving you into action. And as our research has shown, the longer you concentrate on positive words, the more you begin to affect other areas of the brain.”
Sustained positive thought changes the brain’s parietal lobe which, research shows, changes our perception of the self and those around us.
Using consistent positive thoughts and words changes our self-perception, ultimately, giving us the ability the shape our reality and change the world for the better.
What words are running through your mind?
Three-Step Word Process to Achieve Your Dreams
Here are three steps that will help you choose your words wisely, show up for yourself as the leader you are, take committed action, and go after your dreams.
>> 1.) Tackle the hardest tasks first - so when you sit down to get something done and your mind comes up with all those reasons not to do it or why it’s so hard, you can say, “I got this, I am fully capable of completing (fill in the blank).” Always in the positive and always with the words I AM. These two little words, I AM, are incredibly powerful. They are self-affirming, and harness the power of your subconscious mind helping to reframe your thoughts and beliefs
Use statements such as, “I AM Fully capable, or I am on my way, I am in the process…” These statements are easier for your mind to accept as truth rather than a statement such as, “I am a multimillionaire.” Your mind is smart, and if the statement isn’t true, it will reject it and start filling your mind with negative thoughts and self-doubt. We sidestep that by using words such as ‘capable’ or ‘in the process,’ etc.
>> 2.) Guard your mind by talking to yourself positively – consistently. I always talk to myself. I’m my best cheerleader. I got this, I can do this, I’m figuring it out. I’ll soon have the solution. My answers are on their way to me and I graciously accept them. I make a point of high-fiving myself, especially if I feel some self-doubt or negativity creeping up. Silence that inner critic by looking at yourself in the mirror, giving yourself a pat on the shoulder, and saying c’mon champ you got this!! You’ll want to watch yourself in the mirror so you can reflect to yourself the image of your positive, champion self!
>> 3.) Think of one thing one main thing that you want to achieve, It could be financial, business-related, health, or relationship whichever it is just pick one thing. Then create a positive statement about it, record it, and add some music if you like. Next, play it over and over again to yourself. Psychologists have proven that listening to your own voice, out loud forces you to slow down your thoughts and process them differently because you engage the language centers of the brain. When you hear your own voice you become more deliberate with your word choice, which helps you to process your emotions.
Remember how you write this statement is important. Keep it simple, in the present tense, and something your mind will accept. It’s hard for your mind to accept statements like I am a multimillionaire if you're not yet a multimillionaire because your mind is going to say, “BS, no you’re not” and bam then the negative mental gremlins rise up. Refer back to step 1 and use statements that your mind can accept as reality, such as, “I’m so happy and grateful that I am on my way to making millions of dollars for the work I do.” Keep it positive and affirming.
Your words have tremendous power they’ve been running like a script in the back of your mind for years, so let’s use the words that lift you, and empower you to step into the version of yourself that is fully capable of achieving great things and realizing your dreams.