Do you speak negativity? If so, STOP!

(Photo credit: the|G|™)

Do you say the following words:  if, can’t, shouldn't, no, not, never, and maybe?   How about the phrases if I could, will never, if I had, and my personal favorite, maybe one day? 

I tape a lot of shows, and I was going through one of them, Oprah’s Master Class.  This is a show on the OWN Channel, where a celeb will talk about how they got to a positive point in their lives, and how they rose to the top of their game.  It is more like a series of questions that Oprah has prepared for the celeb and less of a one on one interviews people are accustom to seeing in a typical Oprah interview.  This was on Alicia Keys, one of my favorite singers.  I follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, when she takes time out her busy schedule to write something.

Anyway, she was talking about the day she met the songwriter who partners with her on many of the songs she writes, and she joked around saying words like “knowing me, this would never happen”, and kept say the word if a lot, and he stopped her.  He kept asking her why she says the word if a lot, and she told him that she jokes a lot.   At that time, the songwriter told Alicia that when you say things like that, you are writing your own future with your words, joking or not.   It was at that moment, I realized that I, too say things like that, and over half the time I am joking.

I do not mean to speak negativity in my life.  When I see things that could help my business to grow, I look at the price of that program, and think, “that will never happen, because I do not have the money for it.”  Same thing when I need to organize a space, or even if I want something.  An example of a want is, I have a 15 year old musical keyboard that is starting to show its age.   I know that it is a matter of time before I have to replace it.  Same goes with this desktop computer I am typing on.  It is 4 years old.  I sit and plan for these things, but I always say, “one day,” or “I do not have the money for it.”  I may not have the money for it now, but who knows if I will have it next week or next month.  In my businesses, selling for Longaberger (Tricia’s Baskets) and P.Lynne Designs, the goal is to help people, and to make money while doing what I love.  I cannot hoard it one I make it, but I also cannot deprive myself and the needs of others either.

By speaking life (as Ilanyla Vanzant puts it so eloquently) into something, you want something positive to happen in your life.  Saying things like, “you can do this,” “It is possible to get ________,” or “It is possible to obtain______. “  It is the same when you speak positive to someone else.  It may not happen the way you have envisioned it to be, but may turned out better than you have hoped it would be.   For example, when I started my scrapbooking business in 2010, I knew exactly what I wanted, so I thought.  I wanted to advertise to make people’s scrapbook albums and to make greeting cards.   I knew who I wanted for clientele and I knew exactly where I was going to get my business from.   Not so fast, God say, you need start small, then build on it.  Because things were not happening the way I wanted it to be, I started speaking negative about my business.  I started saying things like, “I want to have a studio in my home, but I cannot, because my house is not big enough and I do not have enough money.”  So, I did not started what I wanted, but I did start advertising small.   I started crying because I no one locally would not come, so I started neglecting my house.   Neglecting my house caused me to start thinking about organizing.   In the meantime, I started writing about all the things that I wanted to do, and that lead me to blogging about writing, organizing, and scrapbooking.  Now I have come full circle, and it strange how all of it started sort of a “reboot” of my business.  I took a risk and quit working at a scrapbooking store, but I started freelancing in writing.   Along the way, I started saying things like “I can make this work through God’s help.” So I have a new prospective of things, and now they are turning out great.  I am not in the position of making money still, but the few times that I did, I was able to do some things, and put money away, even if it was for a little while. 

Patience is also the key, and you to be willing to do just that.  There is a scripture that says, “…but they who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up like wings like eagles; they shall not run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31 ESV).  This applies to everything we do, The Lord will provide, and we just have to see what happen, but we cannot just sit and wait.  Until that thing you want to happen, happens, do other things.  My suggestion is to help others, give of yourself, and seek God during this time.  You will be surprised what doors will open for you when you are not focused totally on you.  Give yourself some positive talk, do the same for others, especially those who are younger than you.  You never know who you may impact.

Well, my talk was long today, but I just wanted to let you know that if you are struggling with something, you can do it, whatever it is.  It does not have to be something big like starting a business or buying a new home.  It could be as simple as asking for someone’s hand in marriage, talking to a boss about a well-deserve raise, or going to the doctor for something that may be wrong with your body.  The point is God has got your back, and if you seek him, let it go to him.  Think positive that it will turn out better than you think.  If not, then seek out that things will turn will get better, and that includes reading something positive and inspirational.  Also, there is nothing wrong with seeking professional help too, it may be God’s way of solving the situation.

Have a blessed evening.