We’re going to do a little experiment. Although you may have heard me talk about the way words create the world you live in, you may not have experienced what I meant.
So, right here, right now, I’m going to show you.
Action – Pick out a pen and place it in front of you at more than arm’s reach. Now, as you gaze at the pen, say the following words to yourself.
Ready? Okay, let’s go.
This pen.
That pen.
This pen.
That pen.
This pen.
That pen.
Okay, what did you experience? For many, the word ‘this’, is an embracing word. It pulls things toward you. ‘That’, on the other hand, is a word that rejects or pushes away.
In the few moments we’ve had here, some people may not have felt what I’m talking about. If that’s you, just try it again for a little longer.
But if you did get even an inkling of difference between this and that, you have experienced the power of words.
(And what you have experienced can certainly impact how you speak to others, and what influence you can create in your communication.)