Word has it....
Throughout this personal journey of a lifetime, I have sufficient evidence of both the negative and the positive consequences issuing from my use and misuse of words. What I say matters. And guess what: What you say does too. There are no exceptions to this.
The other day I sat down with the real estate agent in charge of our long-time home's short sale. Yes, folks, after trying out a creative solution of renting out that house and searching the country for alternative, less expensive places to live, we have come to the conclusion that the most healing, supportive place to live for now is here in our new home town of Anacortes, WA. I also note that I am not enjoying the responsibilities of being a landlady, and need to focus my energies on Jim's healing and creating a new life. So the house is up for sale at an affordable-to-a-new-family price of $150,000. The real estate gal and I were going over the pages and pages of mostly legal paperwork that would facilitate our not having to make up the sizable $ difference in what we owe the bank. At one point I sighed mightily, and said, "Releasing a long time family home is hard to do."
She smiled at me and said, "True. And you know what? I referred another short-sale client of mine to you for your attitude around this." My face must have registered bafflement by her remark, so she kept going: "The words you use when you say, 'releasing our house to new owners' instead of the typical words, 'we're losing our house,' is a refreshing way to state it. My client is selling their long-time organic farm, and I referred to it as releasing the farm to new owners. It made a big difference in her viewing the situation."
Her reminder helps me to this day as I wrangle the rest of the paperwork for house sale. The word lose connotes a loss of some kind, often seen as a negative. Losing weight, losing a house, losing a job, losing a friend--it doesn't matter what you are losing, because the mind often registers the word lose as a sad state of affairs. Your mind says: You're a looser, you're lost, or you lost something important. Oh, I know, some of you may be thinking, this is a small deal in the scheme of things. But I know it can actually make a tremendous difference in attitude--and therefore results-- to see a potential loss as a potential release. Release. To me, the word connotes freedom, and a new lease on life: re-lease. And I don't know about you, but I am much more up for release than a loss any day.
A few other examples of word-power:
In the hospital and out, Jim's healing journey was significantly altered in my seeing it as just that: a healing journey. Some of you who've been following my posts on Jim's journey will note I changed my post titles from Jim's Heart and Stroke Report to Jim's head and Heart Healing. This was prompted by an astute reader who noted: "Hmm. Sounds more like Jim's recovery report. " Hmm. Enough said. From then on, I've been reporting on all aspects of his healing and though I've been honest with my words, I also note that this is a process. A HEALING process. And it will always be, no matter the eventual outcome.
In my experience as a healer, I see a distinct difference between the word cure as apposed to the word heal. To cure suggests that the original illness is no longer in the body, or an original psychological or emotional problem is no longer in a person's life. Therefore, my friends, to cure is a much more daunting task to achieve, and so discouragement can rule the day.
Whereas, healing is a happening, ongoing, fluid state of being. Healing is a process. And healing can happen no matter if one is actually "cured" of what ails one. I've witnessed people heal all the way up to their time of death (and probably beyond). Healing knows no boundaries. Healing has no limitations on it.
One more: Jim and I are on a journey of release and creation. Releasing that which no longer serves our lives, and creating that which does. Both my honey and I are people of service, and so we have the desire to serve this wold with our gifts. We also have a desire for healing--our lives and the lives of others. Our journey in releasing and creating--and healing of course--is your journey too. It is our gift to the world. I can truly see that now.
Whatever it is that no longer serves you--whether it's a habit or a relationship or a thought form or a belief system or an attitude or a lifestyle--release it to the best of your ability with grace and gratitude. Be gracious in your release: it attracts all sorts of helpful people and resources to you. Be grateful for the lessons learned. And then create.
You are still on a journey of discovery, and you just might find what you are looking for.
I send you blessings on the journey. Elke