The tongue is one of the most important parts of the body. We use it to taste, eat and most importantly, to speak life into ourselves and others. Or at least, that’s what we should be doing. Though so small, it carries so much power and I think, one of the most necessary parts of the body when it comes to our daily lives and interactions. But, sometimes it seems like we become so critical of ourselves, and quite frankly, just negative. My friend once said “you are being so critical of yourself” one time in the middle of my negative rant, and I needed to hear that. The words that come out of our mouths have so much power, and it starts with one little body part: the tongue.
Speak Life: The Power of the Tongue
Growing up, I can’t sit here and lie and say that I wasn’t made fun of. I was the poster girl for awkward. I was tall, had two huge front teeth AND glasses. Once I got braces, I pretty much demanded that my parents get me contacts because I wasn’t going to school with glasses and braces. I got called Gretchen (from Recess) and things like “beaver-teeth” and “buck-teeth” and it was a lot for a 12 year old girl in middle school. My mom got tired of me coming home crying and eventually taught me the art of clapping back.
As a young teenager, I held what someone said to me or about me to such a high standard. I was super sensitive and as I got older, I got tired of it. I wanted to not be sad all the time because of what someone said, because who cares what they think??? I wanted to not let what other people said about me affect me. The problem is, I no longer really worry about what others may say but now I can be super critical of myself. Has that ever happened to you? You seem to find everything that’s wrong with you and focus on those things instead of the positive? And once you start spewing out the negativity, you no longer feel confident, beautiful or successful. I never truly understood how much power your tongue and the words that come out of your mouth really hold, for a very long time.
What comes out of our mouth can have a HUGE affect on our personal wellness. If we aren’t speaking life into ourselves, then how can we expect to speak life into others? One of my biggest struggles is accepting compliments. My compliment exchanges go something like this…
Someone: You look so pretty today!
Me: “Oh my gosh, I just ran out the door” OR “really? I feel like I look a mess”
What I should say is…”thank you” and that’s it. It’s simple: just say thank you! Yet, sometimes that can be really hard. It’s not the compliment I have trouble accepting, it’s the fact that I can’t help but find something to speak down on myself about.
It’s time to speak more life into ourselves and others. Even if Karen from work pissed you off all day because she wouldn’t stop talking on the phone at work. Be conscious of the words that come out of your mouth, because once they’re out there, you can’t take them back. I know we have all said something we instantly regretted. And there will be times when our emotions get the best of us and we do blurt out something we don’t mean because face it, we’re human. But by being more conscious of what you’re saying to others and most importantly what you’re speaking to yourself, you can truly ensure that what’s coming out of your mouth is uplifting.
Your words define you. Your words hold immense power. Speak more life into yourself. Speak more life into your relationships. What you speak to yourself is the difference between you pushing yourself to achieve your goals or making an excuse for why you’ll do it tomorrow. What you speak to yourself is the difference between you feeling confident and you feeling overly self-conscious. I know, because I’ve been on both sides.
Imagine a world where everyone spoke words of positivity and encouragement. Imagine a world without bullying. Imagine the mindset you would have if you simply encouraged yourself every day, even during the toughest of times.
It’s a world I’d definitely want to be in.