My love of words

I fell in love with words as a child. Though I no longer recall the day, the memory remains permanently etched in the recesses of my mind. To honor my birth as his first child, my father penned a beautiful poem entitled, “My Little Lee-Lee.” I remember listening as he read each word, completely enamored. A few years later I was able to read them for myself. That my father had crafted such a delightful ode for his baby girl using a series of words strung together just so cultivated my love for language and the power of the written word. He is one of the primary reasons I write today. Even now, I cherish the opportunity to share my blog posts and books with him while anxiously awaiting his feedback.

As the end of 2018 draws near, I have spent some time in reflection. Like every year, there are tremendous successes and painful disappointments. There are births and deaths – of ideas, friendships, jobs and business moves, and collaborations. The dawning of a new year often leads to resolutions, public or private proclamations of what we are giving up or starting anew.

Here comes 2019

With the impending arrival of 2019, I have decided to strengthen my relationship with words and more specifically the words I speak over myself. I am intimately familiar with the power of words. In my work as a board-certified psychiatrist, I have witnessed the devastating impact of words in the lives of the children and I adults I treat. Whoever said “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” clearly didn’t realize how hurtful the things that people say can be. Overly critical and unkind words plant seeds of doubt that grow into low self-esteem, fear, and anguish to feelings of inadequacy and depression. I spend a considerable amount of time undoing the heart and soul damage such words cause. Someone may have said ugly things to you, too; but it’s not just what others say to us or about us, it’s also what we say about ourselves.

Our words have undeniable power

In this season of my life, juggling motherhood, marriage, a full-time medical practice, and entrepreneurship, I find it incredibly easy to become both overwhelmed and quite apprehensive. In 2018, I created an internal dialogue teetering on the edge of profound negativity. I quietly told myself that I was no one really wanted to hear or read what I had to say, that moms found no value in my musings and social media posts, that my business would never take off, and that my cluttered house revealed my utter lack of organization and penchant for laziness. I was silently drowning in a sea of negative thoughts while uplifting others. No one really seemed to notice, but it was always there lurking in the backdrop or pressing me down under its crushing weight. I barely even recognized it myself. I just felt a lot of tension and pressure. Then my public relations strategist made a simple comment to me. She said, “They will come. It’s going to be alright.” Right then it hit me. I had been constantly telling myself all that wasn’t going well, counting my mistakes, and discounting the positives all this time, and my mind and body were following suit. Hello fatigue and sleepless nights.

New year, New beginnings

But 2019 will be different! I am letting go of my negative mindset and my naysaying ways. I am filling my heart and my mind with encouraging words, I am reciting mind-blowing affirmations, and I am adopting a growth mindset. I am visualizing my success, physically, emotionally and mentally, spiritually, and financially. Here’s to BIG things in 2019!

What you are implementing or changing in 2019 to ensure that this new year is successful?