3647: 3 Words to Delete from Your Vocabulary: Why Words Matter by Michael Keeler with Mark Fisher Fitness

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_01] Hey Sandra, wir haben uns ja lange nicht mehr gesehen. Grüß dich Nadine! Mensch, du siehst ja toll aus. Ja danke, ich habe mein Plus fürs gesündere Ich entdeckt. Was? Komm, ich zeig's dir!

[00:00:13] [SPEAKER_03] Die Bewegungskurse der AOK Plus. Kostenfrei für AOK Plus Versicherte. Entdecke dein Plus fürs gesündere Ich und starte mit unserem Self-Check. Ganz einfach online auf aok.de. Aus Liebe zur Gesundheit. AOK Plus.

[00:00:30] [SPEAKER_05] Hey Spotify, it's Dampson Idris here to celebrate Tommy Hilfiger's Apex GP Collection.

[00:00:35] [SPEAKER_02] Angetrieben vom Nervenkitzel der Geschwindigkeit und der Kraft des außergewöhnlichen Styles, vereint die Capture Collection von Tommy Hilfiger performance-orientiertes Design mit grenzenlosem Selbstbewusstsein. Das ist mehr als nur ein Look. Es ist die Uniform für alle, die ihre Träume verwirklichen wollen.

[00:00:51] [SPEAKER_04] Discover Tommy Hilfiger's limited edition Apex GP Collection. Inspired by F1 The Movie. Only in cinemas, June 25th.

[00:00:58] [SPEAKER_00] This is Optimal Living Daily. Three words to delete from your vocabulary. Why words matter. By Mark Fisher of markfisherfitness.com. And I'm Justin Malik. And we're gonna jump right into today's post as we optimize your life. Three words to delete from your vocabulary. Why words matter. By Mark Fisher of markfisherfitness.com.

[00:01:27] [SPEAKER_00] Quote, But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought. George Orwell from 1984. George was a smart dude. He suggests that our internal thoughts ooze out of our brains and affect the words we choose. And the words we choose are capable of seeping back into our brains to affect our thoughts. In essence, words matter. I could not agree more.

[00:01:56] [SPEAKER_00] We all know that our words are a representation of our thoughts. Our positive thoughts. Our negative thoughts. Our emotions. Our frustrations. Our passions. They're all represented in the words we choose. Every single word is a reflection of how we perceive the world around us. At our best, our words are a direct mirror of our hearts and minds. I'll even take it a step further and say that the words we choose not only reflect our internal thoughts and beliefs, but they strengthen them too.

[00:02:26] [SPEAKER_00] A quick example. When I say out loud, I'm a effing stud. And I am. It helps to reinforce that truth for me in a way that thinking it just doesn't. Giving our energy and our words to that belief somehow makes it more real, more tangible. The impact of our words gets even stronger when we share them with others. If I tell one person, I'm a stud, maybe I believe it 10% more.

[00:02:53] [SPEAKER_00] If I tell everyone I know, I'm a stud, it becomes part of my identity, who I am. People come to expect that confidence, maybe borderline narcissism, but I'm okay with that. And it gives power to that part of my character. If words can have that much positive influence on our thoughts and beliefs, it must also be true that they can have an equally negative influence, right? So here are three words that you can delete from your vocabulary and some suggestions for their replacement.

[00:03:20] [SPEAKER_00] I promise you changing these words will change your world. Words really matter. Delete this word. Problem. Substitute this word. Opportunity. I have so many problems. My day was full of problems at work. OMG, what is the problem now? How does that feel? Kind of crazy, right? The word problem is just so darn heavy. It always comes with a side order of stress and disappointment.

[00:03:49] [SPEAKER_00] It forces us to focus on the negative side of any situation. We all know people who can literally find a problem with anything. The truth is that every problem is really an opportunity in disguise. An opportunity to try something new, to see things from a new perspective, to reinvent ourselves. Think about it. That problem at work might be an opportunity to reconsider your workflow or create new policies and procedures. That problem you have with your friend is actually an opportunity

[00:04:19] [SPEAKER_00] to talk about your relationship or hash out old disagreements. It's a chance for deeper engagement. I have so many opportunities. My day was full of opportunities at work. OMG, what is the opportunity now? How does that feel? Kind of awesome, right? Give it a try. Delete this word. Mistake. Substitute this word. Choice.

[00:04:45] [SPEAKER_00] A mistake is just a choice we wish we could do over. So let's call it that. In the moment of making a choice, we take the best course of action with all available information. This is true every day. In that moment, even if we regret it later, it's not a mistake. Only in hindsight, once the consequences of that choice are revealed to be less than ideal, do we retroactively go back to call that choice a mistake. Why? People even say,

[00:05:13] [SPEAKER_00] I knew right in that very moment I was making a mistake. Then because of that label, mistake, we give ourselves permission to punish ourselves indefinitely for one single choice. Dude, that mistake still haunts me. I really screwed up. Jeez, now I'm afraid that I'll keep making mistakes. Yikes. Yikes. Why so harsh on ourselves? Of course, our choices have consequences, and we have to live with those. But we also deserve to let ourselves off the hook when our choices don't create the reality we intended.

[00:05:43] [SPEAKER_00] Give yourself a break. Next time things don't turn out as planned, try changing your words and see how it feels. Delete this word. No. Substitute this word. Yes. Yes, this is a tough one. The word no is so ingrained in our vocabulary that it'll take some extra effort to erase. Tip number one, slow down and speak more slowly. Seriously. You'll have more time to anticipate when a no

[00:06:11] [SPEAKER_00] is itching its way towards your mouth and have time to consider an alternative. Studies have shown repeatedly that just saying the word no increases our stress and releases stress hormones that interrupt the normal functioning of our brain. No is a game changer. It halts conversations. It's a dead end. For any of you theater improv buffs out there, you know that most improv games ban the use of the word no because it stops the scene. It's hard to recover from a no.

[00:06:41] [SPEAKER_00] Why do we say it so much? It's easy. If things aren't going our way, if we don't agree with someone, just saying no forces them to stop and try another direction. No always tells the other party that they are wrong. Yikes, that's harsh. I'm not saying that you have to say yes to everything. I'm a big fan of having people in our lives who disagree with us. That's how we learn. That's how we challenge our habits and beliefs. So here's the challenge. Replace no with yes and.

[00:07:12] [SPEAKER_00] For example, Michael, isn't running the best way to lose weight? All ninjas know that the easy answer would be no, running is typically a bad choice for fat loss. Instead, I reply, yes, for many people, running seems like a great choice for fat loss and there are some experts who think that there could be a better choice. I train myself to skip the no part and start with yes. I express the part of the statement I agree with then continue with the counter perspective.

[00:07:42] [SPEAKER_00] Why bother? Isn't saying no just faster and more honest? Saying yes and tells the other party that you are listening and agree with at least part of what they're saying. It builds trust and rapport. It says, I have a different opinion instead of you're a stupid head. This difference between making connections and making enemies. Your challenge. Try deleting one or all of these words from your vocabulary. Then find new ones. I promise,

[00:08:12] [SPEAKER_00] words matter. Change your words. Change your world. You just listened to the post titled, Three Words to Delete from Your Vocabulary, Why Words Matter, by Mark Fisher of markfisherfitness.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. Summer nights used to be brutal for me, tossing, turning, flipping the pillow, until I discovered cozy earth. Their temperature regulating sheets have completely transformed how I sleep.

[00:08:41] [SPEAKER_00] They naturally wick away heat and moisture, helping me stay several degrees cooler even during the hottest nights. I honestly noticed the difference the very first night. And it's not just the sheets. Their all day tea and studio pant collection have become my go-to for ultimate comfort and breathability during the day. It feels like I'm living in a temperature controlled cloud, whether I'm lounging at home or trying to stay cool while working. Plus, cozy earth offers a hundred night sleep trial so you can test them during the peak of summer.

[00:09:11] [SPEAKER_00] If you're not completely in love, you can send them back hassle-free. And all their bedding products come with a 10-year warranty. Upgrade your summer. Go to cozyearth.com and use code OLD for 40% off best-selling temperature regulating sheets, apparel, and more. Trust me, you'll feel the difference the very first night. Sleep cooler, lounge lighter, stay cozy. If you've shopped online, chances are you've bought from a business powered by Shopify.

[00:09:40] [SPEAKER_00] You know that purple shop pay button you see at checkout? The one that makes buying so incredibly easy? That's Shopify. And there's a reason so many businesses sell with it. Because Shopify makes it incredibly easy to start and run your business. Shopify is the commerce platform behind 10% of all e-commerce in the U.S. from household names like Mattel and Gymshark to brands just getting started. Shopify gives you that leg up from day dot with hundreds of beautiful ready-to-go templates

[00:10:10] [SPEAKER_00] to express your brand style and forget about the code. Tackle all those important tasks in one place from inventory to payments to analytics and more. If you want to see less carts being abandoned, it's time for you to head over to Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com slash old. Go to shopify.com slash old. Shopify.com slash old.

[00:10:39] [SPEAKER_00] Thank you to Mark. A great quote from George Orwell at the beginning that I think bears repeating. But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought. Our thoughts affect our words and then our words turn around and affect our thoughts. It's a powerful cycle and it's something we talk about a lot on this show, how much our mindset and the language we use can shape our reality. The first one he mentioned is good, swapping the word problem for opportunity because he's right, the word problem

[00:11:08] [SPEAKER_00] just feels pretty heavy. It instantly puts you on the defensive and makes the situation feel negative. But I think it can be easier said than done, unfortunately. It's hard to catch ourselves in the moment when we're so used to speaking a certain way. Maybe one strategy that could help is to just change our environment a tiny bit. You could put a little sticky note somewhere that you'll see often like on your computer monitor or the bathroom mirror that just says problem, opportunity.

[00:11:38] [SPEAKER_00] Just having that little visual cue might be enough to remind you to try the swap next time you hear yourself saying it. Either way, it's all about giving ourselves a bit of grace and shifting our perspective from a place of negativity to one where we have some power and can grow. It's a simple idea changing just one word but I think it can really make a big difference in how you feel and what you do next. So thank you to Mark. Thank you for being here and listening. It means a lot. I could not keep going without you being here.

[00:12:08] [SPEAKER_00] Wishing you a great rest of your day and I'll see you tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.