I heard a really good sound-bite yesterday “Worry is just a word”. It dropped into a conversation over our Mother’s Day Lunch, but it made me think about how we react to the words we hear. When I hear the word ‘worry’ I drop into my pessimistic attitude!
If we hear negative words it triggers a similar response to our thinking. We can often find that our mood changes in a reaction to the style of conversation we are engaged in. Have you ever had the experience of greeting someone at a party with the words “How are you?” only to have them launch into a detailed description of the problems and traumas that surrounds them? How did that make you feel? Uplifted? Glad to be alive? It generally made me feel depressed.
There are some people who claim that we have been talked into the present recession by focusing on the negative, and predicting dire outcomes. Whether or not this is true, what is true is that if we are worried about the possibility of a negative outcome from an action, we are twice as likely not to undertake that action. If we are told that a certain negative outcome is ‘inevitable’ we are far more likely to let that affect the choices we make, as if the outcome is not just ‘inevitable’ but ‘certain’.
Words that are presently abounding in the media and political circles are ones like”difficult, failure, breakdown, recession, worry, crash, inability, collapse”, add to them words like “Circumspect, careful, high-risk, disappointment’ and ‘contraction or bankrupt’ and it is a wonder that any of us get out of bed in the mornings!
There is no need to be the proverbial Pollyanna, but we should at least realise that while difficult economic times can cause retraction, it is also true that if we have the willingness to see, there are also great opportunities. Much of business development relies on confidence; when we lose confidence we lose the ability to perceive the opportunities or the courage to grasp them.
“Worry is just a word’ it is not a life sentence. It is the baggage that comes with the word that does the damage. While we may need to be cautious, there is no need to be frightened. While it is good sense to plan properly, it is foolish to avoid grasping at opportunities. While it is positive to consider all implications it is negative to close our minds to what could be.
How is your vocabulary at the moment? Is it filled with the negativity of doom and gloom? And if so how do you think that is being reflected in the things you do and the things you decide not to do?
Have you thought about changing your focus to positive word pictures? How about getting excited about the possibilities. Or perhaps you could investigate the options. Words like “achieve, create, generate, construct, invent, attain, accomplish, and complete” can give you a much more positive outlook on the present.
Trischel’s motto is “With Confidence Comes Success” and we have proven that it works for us.
Instead of focusing on the down-turn, let’s reword our perception – let’s talk the situation up by focusing on the words of positivity.
Michele @ Trischel