Use Positive Language to Change Your Outlook on Life

Using positive language can transform our lives, as it helps us improve our way of communicating and our relationships with others and it also influences the way we see the world. In addition, it even has the potential of changing the way we feel and put us on the road to happiness.

We tend to complain and criticize things that bother us every day. If it’s cold, if it’s raining, if we have to wait in line, if we have a lot of work to do, if we don’t like the food we’re eating. In this regard, we focus all our energy on things we don’t like. We only pay attention to the negative aspects of things, making it even harder for us to enjoy the day.

However, if we use a positive language, possibilities will open up around us and this will affect our brain. In fact, if we send positive messages to our brain, it will respond differently than if we repeat unpleasant affirmations. Therefore, if we keep positive thoughts in our mind, our chances of living a happy life will be greater. 

The power of positive language

Words are powerful. They’re capable of having an immediate effect on our mood and even stay in our minds and hearts forever. For example, think about a moment where someone told you something that made you very happy. I bet you still remember how good that made you feel. Now, think of a moment where someone told you something you didn’t like. The feeling of sadness/anger might have stayed with you all this time.

Philosopher Luis Castellanos is a pioneer in research on positive language. He applies the discoveries of neuroscience to his everyday life. In this sense, he’s capable of creating innovating strategies, tools, and practical solutions that make a wonderful change in people’s lives. 

As the main tool, he uses the clinical results obtained through magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography as a support. Through his research, he’s been able to observe how the synaptic connections of the brain behave from the use of positive and negative words. Consequently, Luis Castellanos has demonstrated the influence of the use of positive language in education.

5 guidelines for using positive language

Next, we’ll show you five keys that will help you apply the power of positive language to your life. Let’s see what they are:

Modify your language

First of all, know what you want to convey to the person who you’re talking to. In order to do that, try not to use negative, derogatory, or humiliating words.

If at any moment the other person doesn’t behave adequately, you can let them know in a positive way, instead of criticizing them and hurting their feelings. Tell them they can try again and that you appreciate their effort. Also, forget about sayings such as “You don’t do anything right” or “You’re stupid”. We’re all human and deserve respect.

Change your mood

Write a list of motivational words (pleasure, kindness, discovery, thankful, happiness, smile) and read them out loud every time you feel like you need to modify or manage your emotions. You’ll see how this exercise will improve your mood.

The important thing is to regulate your language through training. As a consequence, you’ll get into the habit of communicating in a positive way. In addition, being aware of the emotions you’re experiencing will help you find the adequate words to express them more easily.

Avoid negative labels

Labeling someone a “dork” or a “useless person” might have a direct influence on how others perceive them too. In fact, even the person could start labeling themselves as that because they might start to believe it.

Labels condition the appreciation that others have of us; they could even condition the goals we could achieve in the future. Therefore, if you want to label someone, don’t. However, if you feel like you must do it regardless, make sure to do it in a positive, uplifting way.

Communicate through your emotions

This key is related to the one we just discussed. Not only must you be aware of your own emotions, it’s also important to be aware of others’. Showing interest in how others feel can uplift them, making them feel better about themselves. As a result, they’ll feel empowered to fulfill their dreams and overcome new challenges.

With words, we can make people laugh, smile, cry, scream, suffer, and so on. Let’s make sure to use positive language in order to improve our outlook on life as well as other people’s.

Positive language and optimism

Using positive language gets out the best of us. Speaking positively can make you feel better in determined circumstances. In addition, incorporating positive language into your everyday routine will change the way you perceive the world (for the better).

As Castellanos says, we all deserve the opportunity to live a good life and have a good story. Words are one of the best tools we can use to have a good future and good emotional health, which is why we must be careful of what we say to ourselves and to others.