Words and thoughts are powerful..! Especially during times of stress, it is important to watch the words that you use and the thoughts that may be ruminating around in your head. It is believed that we have between 60,00 to 80,00 thoughts per day and most of them are repeats from yesterday. When there are some many thoughts running around your head, it can create fragmentation or the inability to focus, and this can lead to manipulation because an individual is too distracted to literally think straight. They act as "pea brains", and are unable to discern information or make decisions.

If we realized the power of a negative thought, we would never entertain a negative thought again. Words can either expand you or contract you. That is, some words give us power and other words take our power away. Dr. David Hawkins in his book, "Power vs. Force" describes how words energetically create patterns within us that can either enhance us or put us into a state of powerlessness.

Here's an exercise for you: either silently or out loud say the following words, and notice how you feel when you say them, circle them as you go; abundant / excessive, considerate / indulgent, challenged / impeded, carefree / frivolous.

What did you notice, especially in your body? Did you feel stronger when you said one word and perhaps weaker when you said the other?

Research that Dr. Hawkins did indicated that the words to the left were powerful (positive) and that the words to the right were weak (negative). So, one thing that I would invite you to do is pay attention to your words. This can be a difficult task because more than 80% of the time we are unconscious of what we may be saying and the words that we are using. That is amazing to think about. So, this is a learning process, and one to have fun with. Once we bring the unconscious conscious, then we can make healthier choices.

We live in a society that has been referred to as a "psuedo attention deficient disorder" society because of all the stimulus and massive amounts of information we take in every moment, often unconsciously. It comes in forms that are often seemingly benign to us..the sound of a siren, the phone ringing, the child crying, thoughts about paying the bills, etc.. stress has an insidious way of creating internal chaos and may cause an individual to be overly reactive or perhaps make impulsive decisions that they may not have made had they been relaxed and focused. While short-term stress can often guide a person to perhaps be more productive, long-term stress can create unnecessary anxiety and strain on the body.

So what's a person to do?

One thing is to begin to notice what your body is doing when you're feeling stressed out. Is it tightening up? Or do you even notice your body? Our body is a wonderful barometer of what is going on inside of us, and when done with conscious practice can guide us to a place of peace, balance and relaxation.

Another suggestion is to "take the vow". Deepak Chopra invites folks to take the vow of non-violent communication to ourselves and others. It is sad how verbally violent we can be, especially to ourselves. And so, if you feel inclined, I invite you to "take the vow" today. For more information on that google: Deepak Chopra, "Take the vow". Once you do, you will be amazed at how much better you will feel about yourself and others.

This is a Guest Post by Catherine VanWetter. She is a holistic practitioner trained in a variety of healing techniques that help people come to a place of peace within themselves. She is the founder and owner of "To The Heart of the Matter. Her newest book and meditation CD, "The Soul of the Heart", offers inspiration, deep healing and hope during these turbulent times. Download Catherine's Morning Meditation Free at www.ToTheHeartOfTheMatter.com

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