1. Should... This word evokes a feeling of shame and guilt. When we use should in reference to the past, it's in effort to change what can not be changed. When used in reference to the future, it brings up hopelessness, tension and despair. Replace should with want. Instead of saying that you should do something, say that you want to do something.
2. Never... How can we possibly know what the future holds for us. We are constantly growing and changing so how can we rule anything out?
3. Try... Either do something or don't. To try to do something, evokes a feeling of failure before you even begin. So don't try it, do it!
4. Can't... The only limitations that are real are the ones that we believe. If you say that you can't do something, then you probably won't.
5. Certain... If you don't doubt your beliefs and question your reality, you're probably going to be wrong about a lot of things. Let your views grow and evolve. Although questioning is usually viewed as being a weakness (especially in religion and politics), it's really a sign of strength.
6. Problem... These are usually just opportunities and lessons in disguise. And the bigger a problem seems, the more we have to learn from it.
Did I miss any disempowering words? What words would you eliminate from your vocabulary?
I'll be back soon. I promise.
7 comments:
in counselling many of these words are banned!!!
How funny Stew, just yesterday I wrote on my blog "I am always learning, always "working" on something, some personal growth..."
I took 'never' out quite a while ago. Oh the stories I could tell about the times I said I would never do something and then had to eat it because the Universe worked me around to doing it. lol and sigh!
I have to have a better think on other words, but off the top of my head, the word "every."
Except in my motto "every thing is an onion," I do my very best to avoid using every; especially to describe behavior "everyone is like this, everyone does that."
Hope you are having a great time!
xx
Good thing to do for us all. I always substitute 'should' with 'could'....less guilt and gives an option.
Stew, you SHOULD NEVER mix work and play. TRY to have relax on your vacation and don't tell me you CAN'T. I'm CERTAIN you won't have any PROBLEM finding something fun to do down there.
:-)
i agree!
and dude up there...took the words right out of my mouth! ok, let's see what i can do here...
...sometimes it's just so hard to quit sticking CERTAIN words
into your daily vocabulary. it seems to be a NEVER ending PROBLEM. i SHOULD do this...i CAN'T do that. you just have to have a fun time and work on nixing these words when you get back!
in Yoda's words, "Do, or do not. There is no try."
i know i use some dis-empowering words...like 'nah'...'huh'...if and but! :)
Every. I like that one. I don't see it so much as negative or disempowering, but it does group things and people together in a way that is disempowering.
Rich (Dude) and Laura, your mouths need to be washed out with soap.
I am doing a great job of keeping these words out of my vocabulary and having the best time doing it.
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