Cathy Liska By Chārutā AhMaiua
Are you ready to create and live a life you love? Language is a critical way in which we connect with others, express our internal thoughts, and manifest what it is we desire in the world. Language shapes consciousness and therefore has the power to shape society. Most of us as coaches already know this. Many of us practice positive, proactive language in our coaching professions as well as in our everyday lives. We have tools to speak positively about ourselves and others, tools to guide our clients out of the past and into the forward momentum of the present and future, and many other helpful tools regarding affirming language. That said, what is different in this chapter?
The difference is in the common and subtle misuse of language I call Limited Language Patterns that even the most well-intended, well-known, highly experienced and successful coaches, health care professionals, and spiritual leaders use regularly. This is language which undermines transformation, manifestation, and one’s ability to feel whole and complete. Some Limited Language Patterns are so commonly used by leaders in our industry and others that their limiting or confusing effects are often unnoticed, ignored, or worse, are reinforced as a positive way to speak about oneself, others, or the world.
My chapter in Coaching Perspectives VIII, The Way We Speak Matters, categorizes common Limited Language Patterns and explains how they are limiting. It offers guidance and suggestions for how transform Limited Language Patterns into what I call Power Language instead. While this shift in language may seem subtle, the outcomes are incredible. I invite the reader to explore and experiment.
