The Energy of Words: Use the Vibration of Language to Manifest the Life You Desire (10 page)

right to be on your list if you use them frequently. In this

case, “no way” is used more like one word than two.

“No way” has a 24/6 vibration. With this word, although

we can say it in a more optimistic tone when we hear some-

thing incredible or unbelievable (“no way!”), this word does

not have a strong positive side. When you speak the phrase,

you are literally saying there is no way (no solution, no path, etc.). The codependent, whiny 2 joins forces with the impatient and impractical 4 to form the worry-wart, pessimistic 6.

Your Top-Ten Positive Power Words 71

Using the phrase “no way” closes doors and shuts down op-

portunities that might be manifesting in the ethers.

“Whatever” is a wishy-washy word that seems to be most

popular and used most often by the younger generations. A

typical scenario would be a parent saying, “Do your chores”

and the teen replying in a nonchalant tone, “Whatever.” The

underlying energetic vibration of “whatever” clearly matches

the casual and vague way in which it is most often used, as it reflects the bright, sunny, social-butterfly energy of the 3.

The 3 is inspirational, imaginative, and optimistic, but also

quite indecisive in the negative, suffering from self-doubt and self-criticism. There isn’t much drive or determination behind it and it is lacking clear direction. It’s best to avoid words like “whatever” that don’t allow you to move purposely

ahead in the direction of your desires.

The word “can’t” is a very common word that we’re all

guilty of using, but it is one of the most dream-squashing

words of all time. You can use it in what seems like a positive way such as “I can’t be held back” but there are much better

words to choose. This word is the epitome of whiny as the

11/2 vibration. The double 1 adds a double-whammy egotis-

tical essence, combining to create the codependent and unco-

operative 2. Ego is all about fear and loves to view the glass as half empty.

Notice that, of the four examples we went through, only

one was positive. This was purposeful, as the typical personal jargon list is more negative than positive to start off with.

Going through some of these powerful word examples

has probably got your mind churning about your own per-

72 Your Top-Ten Positive Power Words

sonal jargon list and where it needs some improvement.

Don’t expect to change your list overnight. It will take time

to make the new words a habit, but once you do, expect your

manifestation power to kick into high gear.

Changing the List

Focusing on changing or implementing one word at time

will make the changes happen more quickly and be more

likely to stick.

Using the Top reference section at the back of the book

with some of the most commonly used positive and negative

words, begin rewriting your Top-Ten Positive Power Words.

Look at each word on your list one at a time. If there is a

more positive version of a word on your list, try to use it in place of the more negative word. Some words on your list

may need to be crossed off altogether and replaced with a

new favorite word.

The key to writing your revised list is to have it match not

only what you precisely want to create but also to ensure

you’re not creating what you don’t want. “Can’t” and “prob-

lem” are two great examples from the “creating what you

don’t want” category. Switch out those mostly negative

words for new positive ones and watch your life switch from

the negative to the positive.

The example list above might look something like this

when rewritten positively:

believe

awesome

know

Your Top-Ten Positive Power Words 73

trust

absolutely

powerful

love

best

always

allow

fearless

The words “problem,” “whatever,” “won’t,” “can’t,” “no way,”

“hope,” and “maybe” were booted off the list and replaced by

the more positive power words “trust,” “always,” “allow,”

“powerful,” “know,” “absolutely,” and “fearless.” Your final list after this exercise should reflect areas you are striving to improve or manifest in your life. For example, thinking, speaking, or writing the word “powerful” just makes you feel good and

instantly centers you in your own creative power.

In the example, the entire list needed to be rewritten ex-

cept for two words: “love” and “best.” You may find that

your complete list needs to be redrafted, or just a few words.

Those who fall into the latter category might have less of a

challenge ahead of them, but those in need of a total rewrite

will likely experience the most radical transformation if

they’re willing to put in the effort.

You don’t need to fuss over this list in an attempt to per-

fect it. It will change as your life changes. Go with your gut and write the words as they come. Using your intuition for

this exercise will reveal any areas you need help with trans-

forming first, and allow you to utilize your full creative po-

74 Your Top-Ten Positive Power Words

tential. Also look to areas in need of improvement that

you’re already aware of. If you have trouble trusting, the

word “trust” should be on your Top-Ten Positive Power

Words list. If it’s a challenge for you to pinpoint specific areas of your life in need of improvement or your intuition radar

seems on the fritz, begin by choosing words based on how

they make you feel.

Your list isn’t meant to be the one and only list; it’s more

like a pocket guide or quick reference to get you started.

Keep a copy of the list on your car visor. Put it on sticky

notes on your bathroom mirror or your workplace com-

puter—anywhere you’ll notice it often. Once you’ve got that

list down, write another one and repeat. You can never have

too many positive words in your vocabulary.

In Chapter 6: “Personalized Affirmations that Really Work,”

we’ll go more in depth with exploring ways to firmly establish tendencies with your new positive words list. You don’t necessarily want to refer to your use of vocabulary as habit because the words you use should have conscious thought behind them

and not be automatic responses. However, we are creatures of

habit, and it works well to practice implementing new word

lists to become more familiar with them.

The great thing about positive energy is that it’s conta-

gious. Once you’ve shifted your personal jargon list into the

positive, those around you will soon be feeling your good

vibes, too. Think of someone you know who seems to radi-

ate positivity: how do you feel around them? Chances are this

person is using positive words, too. Surrounding yourself

Your Top-Ten Positive Power Words 75

with positive people, places, and things is one of the most

important rules of manifesting what you desire. Small

changes to the words you use can result in big changes in

how and what you’re creating in your life.

Setting yourself a goal of thirty days to incorporate your

Top words into your daily vocabulary is a perfect way to help

you keep your eye on the prize. Choose two or three words a

week and focus on them—eat, sleep, and breathe your words!

C H A P T E R 5

;

Practice Makes Perfect!

As creatures of habit, it can be tough to change what is in-

grained. Old habits die hard, and it can take a lot of elbow

grease to change our personal vocabulary list. Thankfully,

habits are patterns, and with effort, patterns can be replaced with new ones. One of the reasons we’re a habit-forming

species is that our brain is wired to recognize and make sense of patterns, so you’ll need to retrain your brain to recognize a new vocabulary pattern.

This chapter will take you into the “meat and potatoes”

of how to change the stubborn vocabulary that may be hin-

dering your success through the use of seven tried-and-true

habit-busting practices. You’ve learned a lot about language

and words so far and now it’s time to put that knowledge

into action. As spiritual beings in a physical body, we may not
77

78 Practice Makes Perfect

be perfect, but in the case of changing the words we use,

practice makes
improvement
.

Rule 1: Positive equals positive

When wanting to become more positive in any way or form,

surround yourself with positive people, places, and things.

There are many people who subconsciously act as magnets

for drama, gravitating toward people who have an exciting

and action-packed life but with a focus on the negative. Are

you one of these drama magnets? It’s time to check yourself

for the presence of this nasty habit by taking inventory of

your friend list, your hangout joints, and even the food you

consume. How do negative people, places, or foods make

you feel? Are they predominately positive or negative? Start

weeding out the negative stuff to shift gears into the positive.

Consider negative media, junk food, and drama queens to

be just a few of the things on your off-limits list. You need to provide the right medium to grow a new vocabulary list.

In situations where you aren’t able to completely remove

yourself from the presence of the negative, choose to tune it

out or shift your focus to the positive things around the sce-

nario. Ricky Powell, a celebrity client of mine who is still

building his brand as the Happiness Guy (apart from his day

job as a director at NBC), says he chooses not to allow the

negativity of working in the media and entertainment indus-

try to affect him by shifting his attention toward only the positive things around him. This didn’t happen in one day for

Ricky; it took a great deal of effort, determination, and

Practice Makes Perfect 79

tricks, such as personalized positive affirmations (more in

Chapter 6 on this), to keep him focused in the positive.

Rule 2: Post-it!

Post-it notes are a handy little tool for remembering things

we might forget. Rarely would you come across someone

who hasn’t used these little paper gems at some point. So

grab your Post-it stack and start writing! This is an old trick many books have cited as a means to remembering positive

affirmations. Because it has been proven to work, it’s worth

implementing with your own personalized affirmations, too.

Start by writing down your Top-Ten Positive Power Words

and simply stick them where you’ll regularly see them. Make

multiple copies if you need to put them in other places you

spend a lot of time in, like the office or car.

Rule 3: Hit repeat

When children are learning words for the first time, they

tend to repeat the same word over and over until they master

it. Think
Sesame Street
and pick a word of the day or week and focus on it. Use that word over and over again, as much

as you can, until you feel confident you’ve integrated it into your permanent vernacular. Try incorporating it into your

sentences, whether you’re speaking or writing. It’s much eas-

ier to bite off a small chunk of your vocabulary list and work on it bit by bit. Approaching it in this way ensures you’re

more likely to succeed because you won’t feel overwhelmed

or discouraged by not seeing any initial progress.

80 Practice Makes Perfect

Rule 4: Broaden your horizons

One of the reasons we get stuck using negative vocabulary is

the negative outlook or perception we often hold. “I can’t do

it” or “what if …” are phrases we use when we’re being more

narrow-minded in our thinking. Leave the door open wider

for the possibilities and you’ll find that you will automatically tend to use more positive phrases like “I can do this.” Practice being the optimist who sees the glass as half full. Catch yourself in the act of trying to envision the negative outcome of a situation or judging yourself before you’ve even

done something. Broaden your horizons. Not only does it

give you permission to feel more positive, it also serves as an instant facelift for your vocabulary, too. It’s much less likely that a negative word will slip from your lips when you feel

optimistic.

Rule 5: Buddy up

Sometimes we need a little support when it comes to break-

ing habits. Change is challenging, and if you don’t have to do it alone, don’t. AA is a prime example of a very successful

pattern-busting support system. Partnering with a buddy

who is also trying to shift into the positive will help to keep you more focused and on track. After all, two heads are better than one! Be sure that your partner is serious about

changing and that he or she is on your “positive people” list.

As buddies, you can help each other through the times when

you temporarily lose sight of your goals, question your suc-

cess, or just have a bad day when you slip a bit. Set goals to-Practice Makes Perfect 81

gether and leverage each other to stick with them. You will

greatly increase your chances of success this way. Ask some-

one you know who has lost a lot of weight or quit smoking