I love words, both writing and reading them. But even with the amount of time I spend doing those two things, the words inside my head are by far the most prevalent. That could be because I’m by myself a lot, but when I think back to when I was working, it seems thoughts were bouncing around in my head like a ping pong game in a tiny elevator then too.
I have been wondering, do our own words about ourselves have more power if we keep them inside or say them out loud?
We were taught as children that sticks and stones may break our bones but words can never hurt us. But in this age of bullying, we know that’s not true and I’m pretty sure we all knew it wasn’t back in the day either. Things people say can either lift us up or tear us down and the same goes for words said about ourselves, by and to ourselves.
The words we keep inside can become all-consuming. They can fester and hold us hostage. They can take us down a dark path and snowball into fear and despair, no matter the season. They can manifest into physical pain. They can paralyze us. They can send us backwards. That is an awful lot of power.
But what if we say them out loud?
We are told to declare our intentions, share our feelings. This is more difficult for some of us than others, for a whole host of reasons, and if speaking our mind comes more naturally to us, we still may struggle at times. After all, our innermost thoughts about ourselves are inner for a reason, right?
If we share our words with someone, we may receive affirmation or a partner in accountability. We may be given strong counsel or find a cheerleader. There is an energy, a buzz, that comes with setting the words free from their prison. And just like Tom Hanks’ character in Castaway, when we speak them out loud, even to a volleyball, we make a connection, even if just with the universe.
Our words about ourselves have power when kept inside. But the moment we release them into the world, I believe we become more powerful than them.
