Did your parents ever tell you to “Watch your mouth!”? Mine did. But today, I am telling you to watch your mouth for a completely different reason. Why? Because your language controls your mind, your mood, and your perspective.

I will never forget an interview I heard with the US Olympic gold medal gymnast Aly Raisman. When asked about the pressure of competition, she responded that she doesn’t feel pressure, just excitement. By substituting the word excitement for pressure, she totally changed her thoughts and her perspective. The language we use to describe our feelings and mood, even when talking to ourselves, has tremendous power. You can choose to be stressed out or you can choose to be challenged and excited like Aly.

In a speech I gave last week, one point I made was that the words “too much to do” and “not enough time” are victim words. Using them is simply an abdication of responsibility for making decisions about priorities. One attendee wrote me a few days later to tell me she recognized her “state of victimhood” immediately, changed her language about having too much to do, and started feeling better right away. By choosing to be in control instead of being a helpless victim, you will regain your sense of purpose and power.

The most destructive language is the negative self-talk you throw at yourself when things don’t go as desired.

• “I just can’t think on my feet.”
• “I’m a terrible salesman.”
• “I’ll never get this right.”

If you tell yourself you are inadequate, you will be inadequate. Watch your mouth!

Labels aren’t only a problem when applied to yourself. Consider how the following examples change your image of others:

A Slave               vs.    a person enslaved

The Homeless    vs.    people temporarily without homes

Idiot!                   vs.    someone who just did something stupid, or at least, something you wouldn’t do

A Jerk                 vs.    someone whose behaviors indicate anything from a bad day to serious problems

I don’t know about you, but the lefthand terms trigger completely different images than those on the right.

Your language matters! Watch your mouth and select your words with care!