Why Exact Words Matter

My husband cares intensely about the precision of language. He is an English major, a lawyer, and he has Asperger’s. He says exactly what he means and he wants everyone else to also.

This has been an issue for us for a long time. I have a lifelong habit of using words vaguely. I like to think there is lots of grey in language, a gist, a gestalt. I like the power of a whole story in its’ entirety. I like to discuss how meaning is impacted by tone, intention, emotion, context and word order. I have always been resistant to my husband’s point of view. Until now….

Mindset coaching has forced me to start to shift into my husband’s camp. The specificity and exactness of words do matter. Your thoughts and beliefs are what lead to your results and the life you have. When you unload your brain and evaluate your thought patterns, it is clear that there is power in the exact words we use to describe ourselves and our experiences. By changing one word our feelings shift. A different feeling can lead to an entirely different set of actions and results.

The unmanaged mind has thoughts that often don’t serve us, We can deliberately use specific words to change our life experience.

You may not believe something YET…

You can be “learning to believe” that you are someone who believes in herself.

I WANT to, I CHOOSE to, I GET to feel very different than I HAVE to or I SHOULD ….

Notice the words your brain turns to habitually. Are these the ones you want to be thinking?

If not, choose the wording of your thoughts purposefully, notice them, practice them, and see what happens. The change may surprise you.