The magic of words

By Lionel Wijesiri

Just six words, two short phrases, heard from a nurse at an ICU had changed my colleague’s life as she lay on an ICU bed. In fact, it is only those two phrases my colleague remembers from her entire hospital stay, after having brain surgery to remove a tumour.

She was experiencing nausea, a sick feeling, and seeking care, direction and guidance from the hospital staff. Those six powerful words spoken by a nurse were heard loudly and clearly so my friend could focus on the way she wanted to feel... fine.

A few kind words from a parent will soothe the heart of a grieved child

She wanted to feel normal. She wanted to feel comfortable. She wanted to eat and drink again. She wanted to let go of the queasy feeling and experience energy and vigour again. How was she going to do this with the pangs of nausea she was experiencing, lying on the ICU bed?

The remedy was words. The words guided her brain to focus her mind on what she wanted. “Tell me what to do to feel better. I want to feel better,” she asked for guidance. Those six words, “Believe in yourself; believe in us,” said in a gentle, compassionate way, made all the difference in relieving my friend of the discomfort. Her deliberate focus of her mind over the situation made her feel relief. She guided her thoughts and her body into a feeling of peace, tranquillity and feeling better and better.

This story is a clear illustration of how powerful our words are in guiding others toward recovery, healing, well-being and comfort. We receive the messages into our subconscious and conscious minds and they make all the difference in our journey of well-being.

The power of words, when people are vulnerable and afraid, need to be deliberately kind, caring and comforting. The remedy needs to be more than the procedures and the medicine. The remedy needs to be in the messages too. The messages - verbal or written - can bring hope and comfort or they can bring fear and pain. Words are powerful.

Power

“Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I remember saying those words when young, to try and convince myself of its truth in the face of painful words thrown my way. Unfortunately, it is far from true. Verbal insults, verbal abuse and the power of words to affect your emotions and actions are well demonstrated in science.

Invisible, contrived with purpose to change another’s thoughts, beliefs and actions, the words virtually force one to agree with the manipulator’s point of view, give them what they want, do what they ask and buy what they are selling. Their words are so reasonable, so logical, and so believable that one’s response is almost automatic.

Why exactly are words so powerful?

The words are hooks. Their enormous power lies in what the words mean to the person who hears them. They trigger concepts, ideas, memories, situations, circumstances, actions, thoughts and feelings from one’s subconscious mind into corresponding emotional responses toward the subject at hand. Consequently, the decisions based on them are not based on truth, common sense, logic, legality, one’s best interests or right and wrong.

These emotional hooks have been defined as fallacious arguments because they are misleading and deceptive. In propaganda, you’ll see how brainwashing works from the inside, from the master, Adolph Hitler. Relationships show one of the many ways your wife, your children and your co-workers get their way with you.

Or, why do you buy one product rather than another? Advertising shows you one of the reasons why. And law shows just one of the things a really good lawyer can do for you. This is just part of what you’ll find in the power of words.

How often have we heard the saying: “Think before you speak”? Putting this wisdom into practice translates into a more meaningful conversation as everyone who is listening receives the quality of our time, effort and ingenuity. It also allows for a more captivating conversation and gives it the highest quality.

Words have a powerful and transforming effect in that they can contribute to a more peaceful existence, optimal health and well-being. They also enable us to become responsible citizens of the universe, thereby creating a much better environment in which to live, move, and have our being.

Intonation

We are all aware of the tone in which something is expressed. This tone can have such a profound effect on us and this tone can make or break our day. It tells us a great deal about whom we’re communicating with, what frame of mind they are in, and whether we will even participate in the conversation.

Some speakers have the ability to keep the listeners enthralled throughout their presentations

Words produce a sound; therefore, the tone of the person speaking to us helps or affects greatly our ability to listen, hear, and interact with that person. We want our words to produce a melody enjoyed by our listeners. Just think of all the music produced today. What makes us buy a certain song? Is it the wording that stirs us? Is it the images that come to mind by the words being sung?

I have observed many singers who are so attuned to the words and the music they produce that it feels as if they have reached a rapturous state. Perhaps we buy their records because deep emotions are touched within us, which we enjoy and want to recapture. When we attend a lecture and the intonation of the speaker is a monotone, we stop paying attention. On the contrary, when a lecturer is animated, we feel enlivened, inspired and fully captivated.

We are always subjected to the power of suggestion. To give a short example, a friend gives you a recipe for a delicious cake. You’re excited about tasting this cake because your friend is so ecstatic in her description of its taste that you want to get started right away to have the same experience.

Suggestion

In the next breath, your friend says: “Be careful about doing this; watch out for that and if you do this, this will happen; if you do that, the result will be different.”

All of a sudden, something diminishes your enthusiasm because the suggestion implanted intimates that success is questionable. So your initial desire to try out the recipe suddenly fades. The image and mindset we have determine our level of success. The more we reinforce a successful outcome, the more confident we are of experiencing this delicious cake with absolute delight. With such a frame of mind, we are better prepared to reach the desired intention.

The power of suggestion can govern how we think, feel and act. Being conscious of what we take in requires diligence on our part to maintain a state of equilibrium.

I once read that a word is like a living organism, capable of growing, changing, spreading, and influencing the world in many ways, directly and indirectly through others. I never thought about a word being ‘alive’, but then I thought of words spoken 3,000 years ago, written down and passed through many generations, and they seem quite alive when read or spoken today, having lived 3,000 years.

As I ponder the power of the word to incite and divide, to calm and connect, or to create and effect change, I am ever more cautious in what I say and how I listen to the words around me.