Speaking Notes
Pro 18:21
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
You may have heard the expression in English: you will eat your words.
Meaning: You’re going to regret saying what you just said.
Truth: What you say . . . the words you use, have power. Proverbs: Death or Life.
Are you paying attention to what you say?
Scientific studies have shown that women speak more than men.
20K words vs. 7K words
Study in UK that a protein (Foxp2) in the brain might be responsible for this.
The amount of words isn’t what I want to talk about.
We have to use words to function in the world.
The quantity of our words doesn’t matter as much as the quality.
Proverbs: Words have the power to carry death or to bring life.
Clarification: This doesn’t apply to all our words.
Paper or plastic?
For dine in or carry out?
Please pass the sale.
And most business interactions are neutral as well.
Maybe the endless meetings will bore you to death.
But when you’re talking about yourself or others, those are the words that have power.
Talking about yourself:
Pay attention to any words that come after I AM.
You create and reinforce your identity by the words you say about yourself.
For most people, their self-talk is negative.
As a result, their I AM talk is negative too.
I AM:
Not good at math, working out, eating what I should.
An introvert.
Clumsy
Such an idiot
Getting old and can’t remember things.
Feeling sick. I might have Covid.
What you say about yourself will grow stronger.
Talking about other people:
Your words and thoughts about others have power.
Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul) demonstration
Talking about problems:
What you focus your mind and attention on will get stronger.
We have a natural drive to tell other people about problems we’re facing.
It feels like “sharing the load” will help us feel better.
Reality – you’re making the problem bigger
If you pay attention to how you feel after these conversations – you can feel that hope for something better has died a bit more.
Solution: You have power over what you think and what you say.
- Keep in mind the power of your words
- Pay attention to the words you’re thinking
- Pay attention to the words you say
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