Yes, words have power: mind your language

What are we saying over and over again to ourselves and the people around us? Are those words positive or negative? — 123rf.com

In the bid to live longer and healthier lives, many of us focus most of our efforts on good nutrition to ensure that we are eating the right foods. There is nothing wrong with that. The truth is, though, that we should spend as much time watching what comes out of our mouths, because these can defile us as much, or even more, than poor nutrition. Yes, words have power.

When I first encountered this idea decades ago, my immediate reaction was, “Yeah, right!” The sceptic, know-it-all young me dismissed it as some hocus-pocus teaching that had nothing to do with reality. It was over time, as I travelled the road to becoming a corporate trainer and coach, that the truth of the maxim became apparent to me.