Thoughts are things.
Your identity and what you say after the words “I am” are one of the strongest drivers in human consciousness.
Thoughts determine emotions-which then drive behaviors & actions. When we change the vocabulary we use when describing the world and situations around us, we change the emotional intensity related to the thoughts and subsequently how we react to any given situation. That brings us back to the title of this blog post.
Take note of the words you use on a daily basis.
Observe the labels you put on your experiences.
When people ask how you are doing, do you say?
“I am ok” or “I feel AWESOME”
The other day we had someone visit our addiction treatment center in Coral Springs. During our meeting, he described how on a daily basis when he thought of his business partner he would “Have a heart attack!!!”. I looked at him and said “Are you really having a heart attack or is your heart beating slightly faster?”
When he used the new words we suggested, he had an immediate and stark emotional state change. He calmed down and his face softened. He was able to deal with the situation in a calmer and more intelligent manner. It was amazing the difference just a few small changes in vocabulary can make.
Some more examples of ways to soften language to change the emotional impact for yourself or others:
Replace “I am nervous” with “I have a little bit of extra energy”
Replace “I am tired” with “I am recharging”
Replace “I am angry” with “I am perturbed”
Yes, we said perturbed. And you probably smiled and it lessened the emotional impact.
When speaking to others saying: Replace “You’re WRONG!!! “ with “You may be mistaken”
If you have an addiction that needs to be SHATTERED and REPLACED with healthy and empowering alternatives, start with by taking note of your thoughts and replace the thoughts with positive empowering ones with less negative emotional impact.
If you or a loved one needs help breaking free from a drug or alcohol addiction,
please call us 24/7 at (888) 32-REHAB / (888) 327-3422.
