Words are powerful and the impact they have on others are significant. We have all heard the statement, “Sticks and Stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me.” I call bull shit on that statement. Words hurt more than sticks. Words can break you down at your core. They can tear you down to nothingness. Words can make you feel lost, lonely and alone. They impact those we love and care for much more than we realize. Words impact strangers, colleagues and loved ones in exponential ways. We often speak too quickly, forgetting that our ego tends to spread words from a hurtful place. We have all said something in the heat of the moment that we regret once we breath and let things settle. Have you ever had a conversation that made you want to curl up into a ball and cry? Have you ever had a confrontation that made you want to throw something? Have you ever had a fight that left you feeling lonely and isolated? I am sure you all have experienced this painful truth at some point in your life. It can happen with an absolute stranger. But it is even more painful with someone you love and cherish. This is something I have learned in my evolution from feeling Crappy to Happy. We often let the words others say penetrate to our soul and break us down to oblivion. But in order for you to understand and process it, you need to picture it in your mind and feel it in your body.
I want you to picture a conversation with a loved one but first connect with yourself. Simply take in a deep breath right now. What is the worst thing you have told yourself inside your mind? What is the most hurtful and painful word you have used to describe yourself? What is the most rotten feeling you have experienced for yourself? What has your negative Nancy or Negative Norm said inside your head? Maybe it was, You are ugly, You are stupid, You are Worthless. Now, that you feel that yucky and icky feeling. Imagine what it would feel like if someone you love utters those painful words to describe you. Or maybe they utter words that make you re-experience those painful words again. That’s right. It doesn’t feel good when we say them to ourself. And it feels worse when someone you care about uses them either. It hurts because your little girl or little boy inside feels that assault. The words break you down to your core. Words can make you hit rock bottom and want to curl up into a ball. Words can make you want to stay in your sheet all day. Words can make you want to stop in your tracks. Words can make you feel stuck or frozen in time.
And in the midst of this crisis as we all experience added stress and anxiety it is important to breathe before we speak. It is important to slow down and smell the roses. It is essential to change the events in this crisis to create unity in the world. Our words matter in the physical and emotional world. Words create symptoms and feelings inside our bodies. You may not have realized it but think about that experience I mentioned before again. Close your eyes and really feel it. Do you remember that moment? Do you remember what you felt? Did you experience tension, pain or discomfort? Words create emotions in our bodies and emotions create feelings or sensations inside our physical reality. Trust me it is weird at first. I come from a very scientific background in nursing. I never expected to find a world into alternative healing to truly impact my autoimmune disease and chronic pain but I did. And in this journey, I realized how our perception and internalization of experiences impacts our physical reality. We literally experience symptoms in our bodies as a result of our social experiences and interactions. We also experience these symptoms by bombarding our minds with news and other painful stimuli. And now in the midst of this crisis the news is extra painful. It is important for us to realize the impact this constant assault from the environment has on our bodies.
Have you noticed how your stress accumulates more and more when you watch the news all day long? Have you noticed how anxiety develops when you constantly see the negative things around you? Well it is time to make a change for your own health and happiness. It is time to stop the hurt and heal the world. And it all begins with the words we speak to ourself. And the words we speak to others. To truly change this quarantine experience we need to treat others as we wish to be treated. We need to experience life from a new lens. We need to filter out the negativity and bring in the light. And the easiest way to do this is to write. Yes, write to create unity and kindness. Write a new story for yourself. Write and journal about the way you feel now. And then re-write it again into a new reality. And the most effective way at changing this hurtful truth is to learn something new starting with your letter. It all begins with a simple meditation practice using the initial of your name. Trust me it took me months to figure it out. It took me months to accept that my little girl was hurting inside. It took me continuous and constant rollercoasters from Crappy to Happy to find out this simple fact. I invite you to try something new. Try something revolutionary, yet simple. And it will open your eyes to a new perspective.
We have all said, “There are two sides to every story.” We interpret that as being Their side and Our side. But what if there are two sides to your own story. What if you have been stuck inside a tormented reality replaying your story over and over? What if this story is holding you back? What if it is time to change the story? What if if is time to find your new reality? Trust me I have been stuck in my story. I have only seen one side. And then I realized that I had two different stories inside me waiting to be revealed.
Join me for my course Crappy to Happy. Learn simple ways to tackle the stress and thrive again. Find the power of your words to transform your future. Crappy is what you feel when you hit rock bottom. It is the way you feel when you are frozen and scared. It is the way you feel when words penetrate you and break you down. It is the way you stay stuck and unmotivated. Join me to unveil the secrets to re-writing your reality by releasing the stress. Let’s rewrite your story. Let’s transform the way you feel. Let’s impact the world with a united front. With mindful awareness you can change the way you feel and impact those around you. Let’s support those Frontline workers by impacting the health and wellbeing of our community. Listen to my podcast tomorrow at 7am or 7pm EST as I share a special meditation to support the community and my friends, colleagues and family at the Frontline.