The Power of Words
One of the most important things we can do for others—and for ourselves—is to create and maintain an atmosphere charged with positive prophecies. While not all of us were fortunate enough to have parents or grandparents or families who gave us positive prophecies about ourselves, I believe that God always offers a compensating balance of grace to us. I believe that somewhere, sometime, someone offered you a positive prophecy about yourself. Perhaps it was a comment that shocked or surprised you. Perhaps it was an observation that you automatically dismissed out of foot-shuffling humility. But if you think back, I would be willing to bet that you can remember some encouragement that had been given to you—a compliment that, if believed, could be used as a key to unlock your destiny.
In a Path workshop a woman shared that she grew up in poverty in New York, but would always find her way to one of the office buildings that had a fancy elevator. “The woman who ran the elevator would let me ride up and down with her for hours. She would tell me how smart I was, and that someday I was going to be a very important office woman myself.” Despite a background of poverty this woman is now an attorney in a very prestigious law firm, perhaps because of one woman’s positive prophecy.
Occasionally, someone will give us a negative prediction, which, viewed rightly, can be transformed into a hurdle that makes us stronger. “My high school teacher told me I could never play football because I was too skinny. I got so mad about it that I started weight training, and two years later, made varsity. I’ll never forget seeing him in the stands the day I caught my first pass and made a touchdown,” shared Ken, a now muscular man who laughed with satisfaction at the story. “My teacher’s negative prediction became just the spur I needed to get me into shape.”
How we chose to react to the positive and or negative predictions in our lives directly determines our path. Who were your messengers? Have their predictions come to pass in your life? How has the power of words shaped who you have become?
The Path Course is a series of clearing exercise for creating movement and action towards your purpose and mission. Taking this step impacts all other steps.
