I don’t remember where or when I heard the following quote, but it’s stuck with me since. “Do not speak bad of yourself, for the warrior within hears your words and is lessened by them.”
No truer words have been spoken. Your inner voice has an enormous impact on the being you are. We need to protect our warriors so when we need them they are not lessened.
I never realized how much I valued this lesson until I worked with a gal named Lisa.
Lisa is an older gal, a mother, grandmother, caretaker, breast cancer survivor and that’s just the surface level stuff I’ve had the privilege of knowing since I’ve worked with her. She’s a little abrasive and can scare people off but she’s hilarious and one of the hardest workers I’ve EVER met. If you own a company you want her on your team. She’s the type of person that will cut chit chat short just to make sure she’s not screwing the company over.
I’ve gotten to know Lisa really well over the last year but one thing I have noticed about her is she talks about herself in a negative manner ALL the time. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard her say anything nice about herself. I have often shared this quote with her and she laughs at me like I’m some crazy re-incarnated Hippie (which probably isn’t far from the truth).
She calls herself old, dumb, fat, slow, a meathead and those are just words she’s said today. Some days are worse.
I often wonder how she came to be this way. Was it a learned behavior from someone that she respected? Does her family talk to her like this? Is it a defense mechanism? Does she actually believe these things are true? Is her inner voice worse than the words she lets slip out?
Being around Lisa has made me reflect on my inner voice. Do I lessen myself? Do you?
After some serious contemplation, I’ve realized my words are kind, gentle, loving. Sure, everyone has days when the weight of thoughts round their shoulders in defeat but for the most part, I am conscious of the words that I use ESPECIALLY in relation to how I speak about myself.
Your VOICE matters.
Your INNER VOICE matters.
Your WORDS matter.
Words are powerful, choose them wisely AND be mindful of that inner warrior, she hears the words you speak. Do not lessen her.
If worse comes to worse, dress like a warrior for Halloween and rebuild your spirit!
