Words

Sometimes I will dash off a blog post in a matter of minutes, as I did with the last post. Most times I will have a blog post in draft for weeks because I am rewriting, choosing just the right words in each sentence. Words are important.

Words are important whether we are typing them, speaking them or thinking them. So, I have chosen to attempt in all instances to choose good words. I am trying to make my speech more positive in all matters. I do believe that when we speak something we are sending the words out into the universe. So, I am attempting to be aware in the moment of whether I am sending out positive or negative words.

Do you remember that schoolyard taunt...
Sticks and stones will break my bones
But words will never hurt me!

Well, it's just not true. Words do hurt, probably more than the sticks and stones. So I find that I try to choose my words carefully. But, even though I try, sometimes negative words will crop into our lexicon almost without our knowledge. Raising a child with autism has helped me be very conscious of the words I choose as my son will take things very literally. I can remember a time when he was young that he was getting in trouble for something-I don't remember what but i do remember that his defense was "But you did not tell me there was a rule about that!" I am certain that I probably thought it was implied in one of the rules I had told him about, but he takes words very literally most of the time, so he didn't realize that the rule covered this particular transgression.So, we made a new rule that covered it.

Early in my relationship with Mr. Bill, he had a bit of a tendency, he had a major tendency towards road rage.If someone cut him off on the freeway it was a major transgression and he would yell, and swear, and rant , and swear-he was a Marine, need I go on? Immediately the energy inside the car would change and become negative and angry and hate filled. You could feel it, it felt bad. It was upsetting for me. I am very sensitive to bad energy,and so I would try to get him to calm down. After a while, it worked. He finally understood, I was the only one who could hear him, and so it felt like he was swearing at me. I knew he wasn't, but a car is a contained space, and the negative energy filled it quickly, so that it felt personal.

Then, when I was driving by myself one day, I noticed how often I used the word hate in my thinking.Someone would tailgate me and I would say, "I hate when someone does that". I would get close to an intersection where I had a bad experience once and I would think "Oh, I hate this intersection." How easily negative energy slips into our thinking. I practice meditation, and I practice living in the moment, so in that moment I was practicing hate. What an epiphany that was for me.

Hate...is not one of the things I want to put out into the world. As I am prone to do with a word I started looking up the definition, grabbed my thesaurus and checked for synonyms and antonyms. I started thinking about the times the word slips into my thinking and the times I use the word. Hate is an intense passionate emotion. Is this the emotion I want surrounding me?

So, I made it my intention to catch myself when the negative words, such as hate, came into my thinking. It became my practice to change the words I used. I was appalled at how many times a day the word appeared in my thoughts or speaking. Oh, the things I said were seemingly innocent. I rarely pointed the word at persons, usually at an object or situation. Lid too tight on a jar, "I hate that!" I left a book on the wrong shelf, "I hate it when I do that!" Just this morning, time to put my dentures in "I hate these things." I caught the word,and changed it. I choose to not put out negative energy.

I have had Christian friends who tell me I am too 'new age' to be a Christian because I worry about things like what energy is surrounding me. Yes, I cleanse the energy of a space whenever I am going to spend time there. When I stay in a hotel or motel, the first thing i do is cleanse the energy. I think it makes a difference in how I feel and how others feel when they are around me.If I make an effort to remain surrounded by positive energy I think it makes it easier for others to see Spirit in me.

As the quote from Francis of Assisi reminds us...Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.


What energy surrounds you? Are you aware of it? Do you make it your intention to make the kinds of choices with the words you choose to keep your energy positive?Do those who come into contact with you on a daily basis see Spirit in you, or is the negative energy of the words you think and speak keeping the Spirit in you hidden?

Today, as you go through your day, you can make it a habit to catch negative word and replace them. The car that cuts you off, ask Most High to bless the driver today. The dentures that annoy, thank Most High for the ability to eat and smile. The positive energy will shine brighter, and send love farther when you work on the energy you give off. The world needs our positive energy more than ever. People are surrounded by problems, and fear seems to be the main energy these days. But, we  know that Love wins, and so when we add positive energy by simply being there, we help Love to win. We preach the gospel at all times Whit the energies we choose for our day.

Choose love, loves energy feels awesome.

Peace and Blessings,
EB