Splash Into Calm: Our Words Impact our Day

I have been planning many book signing events and am faced with an array of tasks that take a good deal of time. Some of them I enjoy and others I find uncomfortable or cumbersome.   Each aspect of the planning of the events is necessary, and I am often faced with the choice of how I want to perceive what I am attending to.

The words or thoughts I use to describe what I am doing have a great impact on my enjoyment of the day.  I address this common issue in my book.  

"There is one thing that seems to prevent your dreams from becoming reality—your mind! Yes, the mind that you count on for advice, intellect, and infinite wisdom often distracts you. You do not even realize what your thoughts say and wonder why, after you have researched, planned, and put in great effort, you still fall back into the old behaviors. You try to take pleasure in your day-to-day living, only to be derailed by your thoughts.

It really does not matter whether you have to run errands, have tickets to a show, or are going on a dream vacation (my personal preference). One common denominator will impact your overall enjoyment—your habitual outlook on life, both in thought and word. Let me give you an example.

I once knew someone who used the word “terrible” to describe everything that she perceived as inconvenient in her life and the lives of others. Terrible can denote something that causes great fear, alarm, or dread; but this certainly does not match the reality of sorting through a pile of newspapers or getting a flat tire!

No matter what is going on in our lives, the language we use has a tremendous power over how much pleasure and satisfaction we bring into our day. Words carry tremendous power."

What kind of words do you use to describe your tasks?  How can you re-frame your language to shift your perceptions?  Let me know in the comments below.