The Importance of ‘Life Giving’ Language
Mood Music: Betcha by Golly Wow By: Prince
That dress would look better with a gold necklace. Your suit is wrinkled. You’d look better if you tried a darker lipstick. Did you change your hair? I like it better the other way.
I don’t want to go to work. I hate it! I wish it was Friday! Aren’t you going to do it this way? Eww, what’s that on your shirt?
Believe it or not these are all death statements. Death statements are those modes of speech that aren’t speaking happiness, beauty and, in turn, life in to you or the atmosphere.
When was the last time you heard these sentiments:
You are beautiful. I like your hair today. You smell really good. You have a nice personality. I had a great day of work today. I enjoy your company. You made me feel really good.
These seldom heard phrases are called life statements.
Life statements make you feel happy, change your opinion about yourself and make you smile. Too often do we hear death and not life statements.
Below I have written about the effects of both death and life statements and the reason why you should use life statements to positively benefit the people around you and yourself.
The Death Statement
Death statements are all we hear in the course of a day sometimes- when at work, when we turn on the news, or even when we hang out with family and friends. Reports on deaths and shootings, wars and poverty, sadness and pain.
It is necessary to discuss what’s going on in the news and be abreast of the negative things that are going on in the world, so statements like these cannot be avoided, but the worst and most damning type of death statements are criticism.
Constructive criticism is awesome, but negative destructive criticism is what leaves our minds in shambles and has the ability to make us think poorly of ourselves.
Examples: Your pants are too tight. You are so stupid. I can do it better than you.
We are all guilty of making these accusations to the people in our lives without giving it much thought, but we actively need to become a little more mindful of what we say.
I explained in Kindness Matters how good deeds can help a person make it through the day. I feel the most important act of kindness is being a little more tender in your speech. When a person who may already be going through hell, constantly hears negativity, those words can have the ability to destroy them.
During the height of my personal depression, something as simple as being told “move over” instead of “excuse me” had the capability to make me literally go to the nearest bathroom and cry.
Move over objectified me and made me feel as unimportant as I already assumed I was; However, excuse me lifted my self-worth and made me feel like a person worthy of being spoken to like a human being.
The kindest thing you can do for anyone is lifting them with life statements.
Life Statements
Life statements are those that we hear too infrequently. Everyone needs and desires to be told they are beautiful, wonderful, and incredible.
Has someone ever said to you, “You look nice today.” And as a result you raise your head a little higher, straighten your shoulders, and walked around feeling good all day? What if you heard these words every day?
Imagine what this positivity would do to your impression of yourself. Maybe you’d choose to dress up again the next day. Maybe you’d would feel a little better about yourself and pursue your dream. Maybe you’d not pen that suicide letter or you’d throw that gun away.
You see, life statements literally breathe life into a person and make them exceed their expectations of their self.
An older family friend revealed to me recently how compliments from my great aunt help her survive verbal abuse during her childhood from her parents- this sweet lady in now 82 with a beautiful loving and supportive family and a beautiful and kind demeanor to match.
The Breakdown
The wisest king in history, Solomon, penned in Proverbs, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue. And they that love it, will eat the fruit there of.”
So which fruit would you rather partake of? The lush nectar of life or the bitter cup of death? Life and death statements are not only principle keys when it comes to how you speak to others, but they also determine your idea of yourself.
In the book Supreme Influence: Change Your Life with the Power of the Language You Use, the author Niurka discussed how changing how you speak about yourself changes how you feel about yourself and what you can accomplish.
Be a little kinder to yourself and the people around you, by speaking more life statements. You never know how important your positive words can be to another person, they could be the literal decision between life and death.
If you are ever in need of a positive boost listen to any version of the song Betcha by Golly Wow! Or read David’s 23 rd Psalm. Both beautiful works are filled with positive life statements that can help you make it through any day.
To all my reader I love you all and I thank you for your continued love and support, you have no idea what your viewership and kind words do for me on a daily basis.
Keep lifting me higher and I promise I will do all I can to continue to lift and encourage you.
Betcha By Golly Wow!
There’s a spark of magic in your eyes
Candy Land appears each time you smile
Never thought that fairy tales came true
But they come true when I’m near you
You’re a genie in disguise
Full of wonder and surprise
And betcha by golly, wow
You’re the one that I’ve been waiting for forever
And ever will my love for you keep growin’ strong
Keep growin’ strong
If I could I’d catch a falling star
To shine on you so I’ll know where you are
Order rainbows in your favorite shade
To show I love you, thinking of you
Write your name across the sky
Anything you ask I’ll try, `cause
Betcha by golly, wow
You’re the one that I’ve been waiting for forever
And ever will my love for you keep growin’ strong
Keep growin’ strong
Betcha by golly, wow
You’re the one that I’ve been waiting for forever
And ever will my love for you keep growin’ strong
Keep growin’ strong
Betcha by golly, wow
You’re the one that I’ve been waiting for forever
And ever will my love for you
The Twenty-Third Psalm
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.