“We all have a running dialogue in our heads.”

A thought by John C. Maxwell (2015-10-06) from his book, Intentional Living: Choosing a Life That Matters (p. 63). Center Street. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title of the book to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

There are certain thoughts that I read that have great meaning to me personally.  This is one.  So I’m glad you stopped to see what it means. 

John says, “Solomon, who was reputed to be the wisest man who ever lived, said, ‘Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit— you choose.’ (Proverbs 18: 21, MSG.)”

He then says, “If you want to make a difference and live a life that matters, you need to embrace some words and reject others. We all have a running dialogue in our heads. What we say to ourselves either encourages us or discourages us. The words we need to embrace are positive, words such as we, can, will, and yes. What do we need to eliminate? Me, can’t, won’t, and no.”

Have you leaned that yet?  I hope so.

John quotes a longtime friend of his, Dianna Kokoszka.  He said that recently she told him about how she watches her words. 

She said, “I journal (wish I could say every day). I am very purposeful about writing in my journal, and once a month or so I scan what I have written and look for words that are used over and over again and write them down. Then I ask, ‘Are the words I use moving me towards being the person I choose to be? Are they words that I would love my family to use?’ Several years ago I saw the word frustration show up many times, so I changed it to fascination. No longer being frustrated, I began looking for opportunities where I could be fascinated with endless possibilities. I also no longer choose to use the word but since that negates everything I have said before that word. I have eliminated try, too. As Yoda says, ‘There is no try.’ Yeah but sends a message of an excuse or reason for not obtaining my goal, so I let that one go as well. I wrote this as a law in bold in the course I teach: You can have reasons or results. You can’t have both.”

John then said, “Words have power. Diana recognizes that and does something about it. No wonder she is such a positive person.”

So what words constantly go through your mind?