The Power of Words

I have been thinking about the power of words (and sounds) and how certain things keep coming back to you, over and over.

When I learned how to meditate, I sat in the living room of my teacher and closed my eyes and she gave me the tools ... but at exactly that same time I could hear someone walking by pushing a shopping cart.  It made a squeaky noise, and it was very faint at first, grew louder, then faint as he passed by.  (I actually had seen this person pushing his cart over the bridge on my way to this meeting, so I had a visual as well.)

Now, every time I grow quiet, I hear that squeaking noise (and see the visual), and it's been well over ten years.  That's a lot of years to hear a particular sound daily, and I presume I will continue to hear it unless I get reprogrammed!  (I am not sure how one does this, but all things are possible I suppose.)  But to me, the word I chose as my mantra "peace," is not really my mantra:  it's that NOISE!  Because THAT is what my mind turns to to space out.  

Which only goes to show the power of words (or in this case a sound) and how it can affect you.

So, now I am going to give two more examples, which at first I was hesitant to write about because well, they make me sound vain (and I probably think this blog is about me) but really, it has struck me how potent these words have been to me, and how they keep returning, again, on almost a daily basis, and they always bring a smile to my lips and make me feel good.

At the end of this raw food seminar I was taking, all participants were expected to stand in front of the class and speak on whatever came from the heart.  Then when you were finished, the entire class stood up and clapped and hooted and hollered, and then the instructor said some words.  (I have since understood the purpose of this, and well, let me just say, it works!)

So there were close to 30 participants in this class and we were given an order in which we were to stand up.  Normally I do not like to do this -- in fact, it gives me the willies.  I fell in the middle and so I saw about half the class give their presentations (which isn't really a good example, because you had no props, you just spoke) before I went.  I always have things running through my head, but the purpose of this was NOT to be prepared.  And there were no major guidelines, no time constraints, etc.  As my time grew closer, instead of being a nervous wreck, I was ... excited?  It was so strange, but I could feel myself anticipating getting up there and speaking.  I had an inkling of an idea of what I was going to say, of course, but that was it.

This particular class was five days long, it began at 8 in the morning and went until 8 at night.  It was 30 participants jam packed into this house, it was uncomfortable and you either sat in a fold up chair in one room, or upstairs you sat on the floor.  It was brutal.  We all complained about it.  We spent all this money for this?  Oh, what I would have given for a comfy chair!

My presentation was how **I** would hold such a class.  I would have comfy cozy chairs and places for people to stretch out (we were packed in like sardines) and as I got into it, I envisioned exactly what the rooms looked like, the furniture in them, a huge stone fireplace, an enormous counter with stools surrounding it so that all the food demonstrations were easily observed, and so on.  At the end, as with everyone, the class stood up and applauded and laughed and of course that felt good.  Then the teacher stood up on her chair and held out her arms and said "Before you we have a self-actualized person, did you all feel that."

I was like, is that good?  What is that?  And she went on to say many, many nice things, and she said that I was very graceful and moved while I spoke with my whole body (I wasn't aware of that, and everyone said so afterward, that I swept my arms around and my hips, like a dance) and of course that all felt very nice.  It wasn't until I was home and had actually looked up what a  self-actualized person meant did I understand the depth of that compliment. (Now this is funny, I just checked out my diary to make sure I had quoted Elaine properly.  And yes, those words, verbatim.  Stuck in my head forever!)

So, self-actualization represents the optimal psychological condition for all humankind.  When one's need for positive regard is met, then one's tendency toward self-actualization becomes manifested.

(I probably think this blog is about me ....)

The individual can develop into a fully-functioning person who is open to the richness of experience, who has few defenses, and who is self-aware.

Anyway ... I decided to take it to heart, because well, those are all cool things.  And that was in October, and yet, every single day those words come to mind.  I call them the "pings."  Just out of nowhere, ping! "You are a self-actualized person."  :::::::squeak squeak shopping cart:::::::::::

And I smile.  And get that warm fuzzy feeling inside and no matter what I am doing, everything just kind of shifts a little.

Then ... shortly after that class, this woman said to me that she had seen me at the middle school concert, and when I first walked by she hadn't recognized me, but she thought to herself, "that is a good looking woman."  Then she realized it was me, and felt compelled to tell me that the next time she saw me.

Now, it's a ping!  Just out of the blue, her words return and I think, WOW!  That is so nice, and what a wonderful thing to have attack you!  And how nice it was of HER to say that to me.  She didn't have to, I have thought that about people before but never have I gone out of my way to tell them.  And you know what?  I do now!  I will say things to people that I am thinking (positive of course) and it is amazing how their faces just light up.  But it can't be insincere or words just to be nice.  If I am genuinely thinking something that I know a person would like to hear, I tell them.  You should try it.  It makes them feel good, and it makes you feel good too.  And how cool if those words return to that person in the pinging fashion throughout their life?

Now ... with all that said, it has led me to understand that the power of words works just as powerfully in the negative sense as well.  Of course we all know this, but it makes me so sad to think that people are getting pings! of negative things.  Because if they feel as badly as I feel good when it happens to me, then it is tragic.  Awful.

I am not going to bring up anything negative or even think of any examples ... because I believe that all negative can be turned into positive.  I think that sometimes we need to go too far to a place of negativity before we can turn it around, and I think when you reach the point where you think there is no solution, that if you want to turn it around, you stop thinking that way.

It's not easy.  In fact, I know all these principles and yet I only learn a teeny tiny thing each time I go through the cycle.  But I have reached an epiphany this time around.  Charlie's problems in school?

MY fault.

Yes.  All of them.  Since day one.  ALL OF THEM.

I was confused this time because I thought that I wasn't applying any energy to the situation at all -- I thought that I was ignoring it, and therefore not creating anything.  But the very act of trying to ignore it created an even larger negative arena in which all things could run amok.

And here's the odd thing.  I didn't hate school!  I actually enjoyed school until high school.  I have nothing but positive memories (even though I was bored, I will admit that, but sometimes being smart and capable just makes you feel even more so) so where did my "stuff" come from?

Okay, here's a case of a blog gone bonkers.  This one was about words (words about me!) and we are getting off topic!

No, just kidding, I am going to end this one, and start a new one, entitled, how did it all go awry and why?

HAHAHA