In the last episode, we talked about deciding which thoughts deserve our energy. But once we’ve decided that a situation deserves our attention, we need to decide how we want to engage with it. The words we use to describe (even to ourselves) what’s going on in our lives or our heads can make a big difference.
Takeaways
The language that we use when we think or talk about a situation can affect how we engage with it
We may want to approach different situations with different language or attitude.
Just because it works for someone else doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Make sure you are choosing an approach that suits you.
Trying on different approaches to the same thought or situation can help you find one that works best. So don’t give up after just one try.
Lab Experiment
Choose a situation or thought that you’ve decided deserves your attention and write a few sentences about it. Then, see if you can pick up a tone by asking yourself:
- What verbs are you choosing?
- What metaphors are you using?
- How do these make you feel?
Can you think of other language or metaphors that create a different feeling? Does that feel better or worse?
Decide what way of engaging serves you best and start to use that language in relation to this situation.