rancha.xyz Be free to choose their own route to self-knowledge, health and balance of body and soul.
Language is a fundamental factor in the way we understand life and communicate with the world. Depending on how we use it, it will influence us in one way or another emotionally and intellectually. Thus, Bernard Roth assures that by eliminating two words from the vocabulary, our lives change.
This makes sense if we pay attention to the fact that, without realizing it, we tend to use catch phrases, not knowing how they shape our way of thinking and seeing reality. However, it is logical to think that if we change the way we refer to reality, our lives can also change.
Watch out for some vocabulary words
Bernard Roth is professor of engineering at Stanford University and also academic director of the Hasso Plattner Design Institute. This intellectual wrote a book called The Achievement Habit . In it, he mentions several of the linguistic formulas that lead to triumph or failure. Next, we’ll tell you the two most important ones.
Without the power of “but”, your life can change
The word ‘but’ is an adversative conjunction. This means that it serves to oppose two ideas, either to qualify a statement or to expand or confront it. If spoken from a psychological point of view, this word is often used to justify, postpone, or prevent action.
Especially when used in phrases like “Yes, but”, it reveals an intention to self-sabotage. It is equivalent to creating unnecessary or fictitious obstacles to action.
What Professor Roth proposes is to eliminate the word ‘but’ from the usual vocabulary. It suggests that your life can change if you let go of it, as it forces you to change your perspective when using it. The proposal is to replace these but by the conjunction and . Thus, instead of saying, for example, “I want to change partners, but I’m afraid of being alone”, one would say: “I want to change partners and I’m afraid of being alone”.
But how does your life change by changing the way you say things? Roth says that using but puts you in front of two paths that are mutually exclusive: either go one way or go the other. On the other hand, if you use the conjunction e, you will see both realities simultaneously, without being forced to choose. It looks at the panorama in a way that doesn’t force you to choose, but invites you to see things more objectively and not feel at a crossroads.
The change from “I have to” to “I want”
Professor Roth’s second big recommendation is to change the expression “I have to do it” to the expression “I want to do it”. When you say “I have to do it”, it is immediately located on the obligation record. That in itself is very demotivating. It implies that you want one thing, but must do something else, even against your will. Using the gotta causes an emotional shock.
Bernard Roth points out that if you do something, it’s never because you really have to. One way or another, you chose to do it. So, by eliminating the expression “I have to do it” and replacing it with “I want to do it”, you are simply admitting your responsibility for the life you lead. Let’s look at some examples:
- Replace “I have to finish this job for tomorrow or I’ll lose my job with ” I want to do this job for tomorrow because it’s a way to keep my job.”
- Replace “I have to be tolerant with my partner because otherwise he might get upset with me and leave me” with “ I want to be tolerant with my partner because it’s a way to enrich the relationship and have more well-being”.
- Replace “I have to exercise because I’m awfully fat” with ” I want to exercise to feel more comfortable with my body.”
Every time you change I have the will, immediately becomes necessary to change the negative outlook for a more positive. At the same time, a strong emotional charge is removed. That’s why your life can change very positively by taking these words out of your usual vocabulary. Why don’t you practice for a month and evaluate the results?
