The influence of Language
How your words can either empower or disempower you
By Dani Katz
PRACTICE
T
he subconscious mind is getting a lot of
buzz these days. The folks leading the
personal development/human potential
movements have honed in on it as the method
behind our proverbial madness (i.e. how and
why humans operate the way we do). You
see, the subconscious mind is responsible for
95% of our decisions and behavior. It is the
lens through which we organize our realities,
as well as the command center that determines
how our realties organize themselves. And it
is programmed – first, foremost, and only -
through words and repetition.
Words and repetition.
Words and repetition.
Words and repetition.It would be one thing if words were objec-
tive symbols, solely defined by intellectual con-
notation, serving as neutral reference points for
the things and ideas they represent. Alas, words
are infinitely more complex entities, each
encrypted with a unique vibrational frequency
that is itself coded with metadata that affects
our emotional, energetic and psychological
bodies in subtle - and not so subtle - ways.
The words we use to communicate with
others, as well as the ones running on incessant
loops in our heads as thoughts and self-talk
serve to either empower or disempower us in
any given moment. Every word matters, as the
subconscious mind tracks and responds to each
word we utter, think, type, or scribble. With
this in mind, we are wise to attune ourselves to
the vibrational frequencies of our words, and to
hone our awareness of our habitual languaging
patterns. We are wise to choose carefully the
words we employ on the regular, to be certain
that they our programming our subconscious
minds, as well as our world, in empowering,
inspiring, uplifting and aligned ways.
Quantum Languaging is a fun, simple meth-
od of deconstructing and perfecting the myriad
ways, whys, and hows that words shape our
every experience. Here are three tiny Quantum
Languaging hacks with massively transforma-
tive implications.- Try
Well-intended though it may be, the word try
has this niggling tendency to introduce doubt
into the scenario in question. As positive as it
is pretending to be, try is rocking some major
confidence issues.
When we modify our actions and intentions
with the word try, we invoke the vibrational
frequency of doubt, thus paving the way for
failure, and inviting failure it into our reality.
Try is a cop-out, devoid of conviction, lacking
faith, commitment, courage and agency. Uh...
yay, try?
The try thing is especially relevant to
yoga teachers, or anyone else guiding others
to achieve feats of physical prowess. Try is
contagious, spreading its doubt vibes from the
mouth of the speaker into the subconscious
minds of the people to whom it is directed.
For example, let’s say I’m balancing in
bakasana mid-class. Then my yoga teacher
says, “Now, try to extend your left leg out
behind you.” This unfortunate dictate is
inadvertently programming me to think that
this modification is beyond my capabilities, and
that I’m not going to be able to pull it off. The
teacher is unconsciously communicating his
doubt in the students’ ability to execute them,
and thus programming us to fail before we’ve
even given it a shot.
When he chooses to empower his students
by saying, “Now, extend your left leg out
behind you,” the instruction carries with it the
teacher’s implied confidence in his students.
That confidence, just like try’s inferred doubt,
is being transmitted along with the instruc-
tions. This emboldens the class to not just try,
but to execute, and succeed.
Pro tip: Drop the trys, yoga teachers, and -
well, everyone.- I can’t afford it.
It’s ubiquitous, this disempowering phrase,
which serves to strengthen scarcity conscious-
ness by playing victim to lack. Plus, it’s usually
a lie.
“Twenty dollars for a reishi spore tonic?” Sa-
die gasps, scanning the menu at her local high-
vibe beverage boutique. “I can’t afford that.”
Except Sadie has a hundred dollars in her
wallet. She can walk out the door with a tonic
in her hand, and four more if she wants. She
can absolutely afford it. Now, spending twenty
dollars on an herbal elixir made of fungus
and twigs might not be an aligned or respon-
sible choice when contextualized against the
backdrop of Sadie’s financial responsibilities and
income stream. Or it might not line up with her
values, priorities, and genuine desires. But for
Sadie to say she “can’t afford it,” is to complete-
ly deny her agency in deciding how she chooses
to spend her money, and to paint herself as a
victim to her finances in the process. Not a super
empowering stance, now is it?
When we claim we “can’t afford” something,
we inadvertently align ourselves with the vibra-
tional frequencies of lack and victim conscious-