“There is a path toward the light. The one that goes blink, blink, blink inside your chest when you know what you’re doing is right. Listen to it. Trust it. Let it make you stronger than you are.”–Cheryl Strayed
I just returned from a glorious 10 days in Peru. Visited Machu Picchu and Cuzco, stayed in a 350-year-old manor house where Simon Bolivar was living when he liberated South America, gave a workshop in Lima and had the best time with my daughter who is home from college for the summer.
Because there’s a Mount Everest of laundry and a to-do-list that nearly fills my beloved notebook, I decided to re-run a post from a couple years ago about the power of our words. And as some famous person (General MacArthur?) once said, “I shall eventually return.”
Enjoy!
I was interviewing a business owner a while back. We got off topic (imagine that) and she made a comment that made me consider reaching out and giving her an inappropriate bear hug. It was a simple comment, one I’ve heard (probably even said) many times before. She was upset about a particular issue that shall not be named and, in resignation, threw her hands in the air and said, “If it’s not one thing, it’s a thousand others.”
Her rant almost seemed like a foreign language to me. It wasn’t that I was offended, but it had been so long since I’ve thought that way or really even been around people who aren’t aware of the tremendous power of their words, that I sat there dumbfounded.
Now, I’m not this woman’s coach or counselor, but I wanted desperately to comfort her, to explain to her that every word that drops out of her mouth is sculpting her life experience.
I wanted to warn her, to help her understand that whatever she believes and yes, utters out loud, will be seconded by the the great universal energy.
I know. I’m probably like the annoying ex-smoker who no longer has patience for friends still practicing their former vice.
So instead of lecturing her, instead of suggesting that if she wasn’t more vigilant, negativity, like a body snatcher, could eventually take her over, I held my tongue and thanked the blink, blink, blink pounding in my chest for showing me a better way.
Pam Grout is the author of 17 books including E-Squared: 9 Do-it-Yourself Energy Experiments that Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality and the recently-released sequel, E-Cubed, 9 More Experiments that Prove Mirth, Magic and Merriment is your Full-time Gig.
16 Responses
I’m so glad you had such a fantastic time in Peru! And thank you for this reminder. So many times things just pop into our heads and out of our mouths that don’t do us any good. I often catch myself saying self-deprecating things when I’m uncomfortable with a nice comment about me. I need to get ahold of that and stop it!
Dear Pam, how nice to read from you again, I was missing your positive input! THANK YOU!!!!
My husband and I just started to change the well known phrases: Instead of “No matter what you do, it’s always wrong” we say “no matter what you do, it’s always right” and instead of “the older I get, the worth it becomes” we say ” the older I get, the better it gets” (I translated it from german) and it feels real good!
Thank you Pam for your work. Your (our) words are powerful vessels indeed!
Dr. Stephen E. Lewis
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The wisdom to know when not to go there. So helpful.
Welcome home! Enjoy all the laundry and to-do lists…what fun! Have to go Al Pacino just rang the door bell !!!!!! Luv Diane.
Perfect timing!
such wise words and excellent reminder of the power of our thoughts and WORDS!
Perfect timing as always Pam, it is very hard to help people realize that our thoughts become things, even when proven. We need to keep ourselves in constant reminder. Love to all 🙂
I been working at being aware of my thoughts for over 3 years now. I think a madman lives in my head. I keep changing my thoughts to the positive side but My old pattern of thinking surfaces constantly each day. It is getting frustrating. Any suggestions to help this old mind think positive all the time?
Thanks, Ken, for this very enlightening question. We all have a madman living in our heads. Just remember the two magic words: “It’s okay!” It’s all okay. If beating ourselves up worked (or beating up the madman), we’d all be enlightened by now. Acceptance and surrender. The more we love ourselves (and the madman) anyway, the more the sweet, sweet spirit of Truth will take the floor.
Thanks for the insight. Acceptance and surrender within need attention in my life for sure. It’s great to have your input! Thanks
Welcome back from your wonderful vacation, Pam.So glad you took your daughter. I have a daughter as well, who has finished college and who’s a gypsy at heart.
When I learnt this was an earlier news letter, I was jubilant because I joined the group only recently, and it’s nice to catch up.
I’m extra vigilant of my thoughts and words, but can always use reminders like this newsletter.THANK YOU!
Pam, I agree it’s best to not try to point out to other people that they’re moving farther and farther away from well-being. At that point, there’s just too much momentum going on to stop it. Plus people tend to become offended/resistant. Sending positive energy is the best choice 🙂 Glad to see you enjoyed your trip!
Hi Pam. I was sifting through some old, unread e-mails when I came across this post.
Hopefully, you’ve got that laundry mountain caught-up by now – and had a better time at it than my mom did, long ago, when she found several of my missing pet snakes as she sorted.
But that’s what she gets for making me sleep in our unfinished basement (…probably a good idea, actually).
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