It got me thinking about how important our words are. Society teaches us from a young age that words can hurt people or words can build people up. As future baby social workers, we all know that we need to be careful with the choice of words we use with our clients, our boss, the board of directors, or potential funders; but we also need to be aware of how our words affect us.
Since our words are so important, we must be intentional when we speak. Unless we are willing to change our values, we should not continually say things that go against them to keep a funder or board member happy. You will always end up believing what you say, if you say it enough.
On the other hand, this theory is a great motivational skill to know. If each morning we repeated "I will be a great (fill in the blank with anything you desire to be)", just think of the effects that could have. If we all really believe in ourselves (or at least say we do every day) then we can really change the world.
So do it, start today. What starts here does change the world, and WE are part of that change, starting with ourselves. Be mindful of your words. Whether you are advocating with person first language, or having a fit of self loathing.
Observation: The Chinese government is now allowing families to have 2 children if at least one of the parents is an only child.
Your blog struck a cord with me because of a theory I am learning about in my psychotherapy class. Words and what we tell ourselves can be very influential, and yes, there is empirical evidence to back that up. Cognitive behavioral therapy focus on what we tell ourselves and also how we behave according to those internalized thoughts and ideas. It may seem like a simple concept that is easy to change, but in fact, it's not as easy as it sounds. I like the idea to start by telling yourself something positive everyday. Words do matter and are very important in our attitudes and beliefs. Thank you for pointing out a concept that may not get enough attention.
ReplyDeleteI loved reading this post. Sometimes it can be so difficult to be kind to ourselves and we tend to use the harshest words to critique our own work. It reminds me of something I learned about in my generalist class called mindful self compassion. I think you're right in saying that we need to start by looking inward. If we turn ourselves into even more positive people then we can help others transform and a chain reaction can occur.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post. Words do have a huge effect on us and we should be careful with some of the words we use. Also I agree that if we keep telling ourselves that we can be great or repeating motivational things to ourselves we can grow more as individuals. If we think more positive and less negative we can transform our lives as well as others.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great post! I agree that words can impact us SO much. I feel like as kids we're typically taught to "use our words" instead of hitting or touching and while this is a good lesson, I also feel that we make up for this by coming up with really hurtful things to say with those words that we were taught to use. So, while I do think it is important to use our words and talk about things, I can also see how words can be very dangerous.
ReplyDeleteWords pack a huge punch, and actions definitely speak louder than words. Thank you for sharing this. It is interesting to think about the amount of impact words can have, yet at the same time, people can interpret one sentence in many different ways. You definitely got me thinking. Thank you!
ReplyDelete