The words that you say…

I’ve spent a lot of time this week thinking about words.  The words I say to myself, to others…but mainly to myself. There is a lot of truth to the idea that you will allow no other person to be as mean and critical of you as you are to yourself. We may not like it, but it’s true. My internal narrative can be pretty brutal at times, likely comes from being a recovering perfectionist. And since no one is really perfect, something is always going sideways, at least by my criteria.

Another truth I’m coming to understand is that those words we say to ourselves, are the words we believe. So when I call myself stupid for spilling something, yet again…it leaves a mark. God knows that. In Psalms 19:14, the psalmist writes,“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” I’d put money on God not wanting to hear us give ourselves a beat down. Instead, I believe what He would want is for those pleasing words to be ones of affirmation, of positive intention, of joy.

So coming into this Christmas season, I’m thinking a lot about those words.  In fact, I’m thinking that negative narrative doesn’t need to come with me into 2017. I’ve said that before, but this time, I think it’s time, I think I’m ready. Ready to say things to myself that are pleasing.  Words that have perhaps been hard for me to believe about myself before. Why?  Cause I was talking smack to myself all the time!

If you’ve been on the negative train with me, not giving yourself a break, not believing that you were made perfect in God’s eyes, not living to that truth, it’s time to get off.

This is the challenge. I’m giving you two weeks before 2017. Say goodbye to all those negative words you’ve said. Go out big, make a list, tear it up, burn it, do something so that it is poof, gone. Then spend intentional, thoughtful, prayerful time thinking of the ways you’ll affirm yourself for next year. There are plenty of awesome qualities about you, about me. Write those on your heart, say them over and over, every day, believe them. You are those things, not aspiring to be, but ARE.  2017 watch out, a whole new person is about to take you by storm!