The words we speak hold tremendous power and have the possibility to open up new opportunities or close them down, build trust or erode it, strengthen relationships or destroy them, lift people up or pull them down, amplify negative emotions or generate positive ones.
Studies show that our subconscious mind interprets what it hears quite literally, which means that the words you speak and think create the world you inhabit, so make sure that you think and speak only what you truly want to become your reality.
Our words also impact how other people perceive us, value us and treat us, so it is extremely important to be mindful about the words we use and deliberately choose to think and speak in a way that empowers and expands rather than belittles and devalues.
Here are our TOP 10 tips on how to speak with more power to improve your confidence, create possibilities and grow your influence.
#1 Speak Opportunities into Your Life
You won’t be powerful and successful by focusing on what you can’t do, instead continually push your boundaries and focus on what you can do. Focus on what you want and with that you will open up the opportunities that you may have otherwise missed. If you focus on the negative of a situation, you will only amplify pessimism and it’s a downward spiral from there. Instead, channel your energy and time more constructively and focus on what’s important to you, talk about your aspirations and dreams and point out all the positive, powerful things that are already in your life.
#2 Never Say Never
Words like never, impossible and always are linguistic traps that can be incredibly self-limiting, so use them with caution. Nobody knows what is actually possible until it’s done, so believe that you can do anything you set your mind to and overcome your self-imposed barriers because there are no limitations in life except for the ones that you yourself put in your mind.
#3 Don’t ‘Try’
Don’t try to get things done, make a committed declaration about what you want to achieve or change or become. If you say you want to try, it means that you are doing something with hesitation and ambivalence. However, if you say ‘I will’ you declare to yourself and anyone who might be listening that you are serious about what you are going to do or change and that it is already a done deal, it just needs to be completed. If you commit to something with confidence, you shift the energy and you rise to the challenge and rally people around you for support.
#4 Forget Labels
When you pack up your apartment and move to another one, labelling the boxes is a very helpful tool. However, when you put a label on yourself, a situation or somebody else, you limit yourself and subconsciously comply with the label. Keep in mind, just because you failed to achieve something doesn’t mean that you are actually a failure. And just because you made a mistake doesn’t mean you can’t improve your skills. Be very aware of labels and avoid them anytime you can because you want to live your life limitless without any self-imposed boundaries.
#5 Don’t Apologize for Your Opinion
A lot of people apologize before voicing their opinion to minimize the chance of getting a negative reaction. Don’t devalue your opinion, it doesn’t do anyone any good and only deprives you and everyone else of the value your opinion and the perspective you bring to the table. Sure, not everyone might agree, but we are all different and we can always learn something from a different point of view. Stand up for yourself and confidently speak your opinion and if it turns out that you were wrong, you can always correct yourself later.
#6 Diaphragmatic Breathing
The words we speak don’t live on their own, even if they are the most powerful, insightful words in the world. You have to give them power through the way you speak and convey the energy of the words in a dynamic, powerful way. You can give your voice as much power as your words by learning how to use your diaphragm, which is a dome-shaped sheath of muscle between your abdomen and your lungs. If you can use your diaphragm to your advantage, you will power up your voice by allowing the lungs to expand and use more air, which will result in greater depth, volume and projection.
#7 Variety is Key
If you want to keep the attention of the people you are talking to, you need to give variety to your tone of voice, especially when you are speaking over the phone. Switch up the pace of your speech because if it is too fast all the time, you come across as nervous and if it is too slow, you sound like an idiot. Vary the pitch of your voice, if it’s too high, you sound nervous and if it’s constantly too low, people won’t hear you. Purposefully add pauses into your speech, but make sure they aren’t too short, because it will give the impression that you are scrambling for words. However, if the pause is well-timed, it creates curiosity and the other person will be intrigued and the most important part of speaking… speak with passion and love what you talk about, this is the most powerful tool you can use.
#8 Move with Purpose
You’ve mastered your words and your voice, to increase your speaking power even more you have to consciously move with purpose. Mindlessly pacing back and forth doesn’t project power and stop and go, perching on one foot is just annoying to watch. Move rhythmically at a steady pace, know your path and move with confidence in a measured, fluid manner. Ground yourself with the way you move to give an impression of power that is infused by poise.
#9 Body Posture
How you stand and position your body is essential in speaking more powerfully and be confident. When you slouch, you portray that you couldn’t care less about what you say and besides the non-committal image you send out, you also prevent your lungs from filling up fully. Keep in mind, full lungs help you to avoid a voice that’s cracking, you sound a lot more powerful and you won’t run out of air. It doesn’t matter if you speak to someone over the phone or in person, make sure you straighten your spine and sit or stand up tall so you can allow more energy to come across.
#10 Make Positive Commands to Your Subconscious
When you make a declaration like ‘I am happy’ or ‘I am sad’, your subconscious experiences the statement as a direct order that reinforces this state. While it is essential to make positive commands to your subconscious and reinforce ‘I am happy’, ‘I am healthy’, ‘I am capable’, ‘I am successful’ and so on, whenever your current reality is in a negative state, rather than saying ‘I am’ express how you feel instead and then declare what you do want to be and do instead.
Be aware that you won’t change the way you speak overnight, but as neuroscientists have proven in multiple studies, you can rewire your brain with repeated practice and replace negative habits with positive, empowering ones. Don’t beat yourself up when you slip up, this is inevitable, simply accept it and refocus on the powerful changes you want to implement in your life and be patient with yourself.
BALANCE YOUR WORDS WITH TONE OF VOICE, MOVEMENT AND GESTURES TO BECOME TRULY POWER-FULL
Joschi & Monika
#BoldNaked
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