Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.
This little idiom chanted on playgrounds around the country is far from accurate. While words alone cannot hurt physically, they can hurt so deeply on an emotional level that a person can become physically ill.
Many people who have been bullied in school say they would prefer sticks and stones because they only hurt for a little while, but the pain caused from hateful words can last for a lifetime. Many adults suffer from low self-esteem or other personality disorders stemming from name-calling or other verbal abuse that was unleashed on them during their childhood.
It sometimes takes years to undo the damage from abusive language. This form of mistreatment is often not recognized and runs rampant throughout an entire family. It is not uncommon for members of the same family to have similar problems such as anxiety disorders, depression, chemical dependency or alcoholism.
Positive words of praise can sometimes help to alleviate feelings of low self worth and issues with self-esteem. Similar to cheering someone on, positive affirmations can help to change your world. If you’ve ever noticed the great big football players rallying the crowd to cheer, you can understand the power of positive words and encouragement. We all crave it, so why not give some to yourself?
Affirmations are power-packed positive words written out and spoken aloud. You must speak them aloud to get the full effect. If you don’t want to write your own, there are many suggestions on some of my other posts to get you started. The important thing is that you start each day with a “Can Do, Anything is possible” kind of attitude. In fact that’s the mantra of successful people.
Words can hurt…but words possess the magic cure to make all things possible. Speaking affirmations to yourself will give you a positive start to each day that will help to reinforce your spirit to withstand negative attitudes that come your way.
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