Tiny Little Spells

Words both written and spoken are powerful. Like tiny magic spells found in all of our interactions, words possess a magical quality that shape our reality. Much like casting incantations, the words we choose to say can manifest our reality. If we give our thoughts a voice, we give life to ideas.

Words can be used to convince, deceive, convey love, bring joy, ask for help, set boundaries, show support.. the list goes on. We say things in our attempts to move forward, to create our reality and communicate with others.

Picture your words as ripples in a pond, creating waves that touch the hearts and souls of everyone they reach.

We can make efforts to infuse our language with kindness and refrain from causing harm. A simple “thank you” or an acknowledgment of someone’s hard work, or an expression of gratitude can go a long way in creating a world you want to be part of. So can learning how and when to say no, when to tell others what your needs are.

Its all a kind of hocus-pocus.

Gossip!

I once heard someone refer to gossip as witchcraft. Intrigued I asked for clarification, and I have never quite forgotten the lesson. They explained to me how words are spells, that you alter the reality of another person by gossiping about them, the affected person will have a different experience in the world because of you and words you expressed = Witchcraft.

They had definitely meant this as a slight to negative gossip. But I believe the message also has a light side to it, that we have the power to create that same energy in the positive. There is such a thing as positive gossip. Experiment with a little Hermione Granger in your step and start talking people up! Be known for singing praise.

Action

An idea I got from one of my favourite podcasts, The Happiness Lab, talks of the importance of saying things out loud to people in your life and reaching out. The positive impacts are layered and measurable.

I started writing “just because” notes to friends and family. I find that a quick note sometimes turns into a love letter and others are short, simply letting the person know they are appreciated in some small way. For example instead of texting “be there in 15″ I take the extra seconds to say “I’m excited to spend time with you. Be there in 15″ or a sticky note left on a coworkers desk to simply say something like ” You are so articulate and kind. Thanks for supporting me at the meeting”. I think that spreading these little acknowledgements is well worth the vulnerability.

Sometimes I even get notes back. These are wonderful little soul treasures. I keep them in a keepsake box and if I ever need a reminder of who I am, I have all these lovely reminders. Here are a couple that I received just this week.

Proverbial spells.

A spell for language if ever I saw one, are in the words of Kahlil Gibran from “Prophecies of Love”:

“Words, like feathers, softly fall, Yet carry weight beyond them all. Kindness woven in each line, A tapestry of love divine.”

A theme you will pick up on as these blog posts go forward, is that I LOVE a good quote/proverb. with that in mind, I have always had a fondness for the following quote-

“Watch your thoughts, they become your words
Watch your words, they become your actions
Watch your actions, they become your habits
Watch your habits, they become your character
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
—Anonymous

And finally, where would I be without the echoing calls from my mother in my mind, My mum would often say;

“Before you say something ask yourself if what you are going to say is true, kind, necessary, or helpful. If the answer is no, then maybe there is no need to say it. Nastiness is for boring people.” 

I imagine this was a spell my mother hoped to cast on me to ensure I fostered kindness in my life. – I mean she also used to say “don’t call me can eye” so, there is that.

Best of all words are Free, and it is one of our greatest tools for creating healthy practices in our lives. Let your words create a reality filled with warmth. A reality infused with strong community that builds each other up and the knowledge that you have a choice on what word spell you would like to cast next.

Here is a link to one off my favorite speeches. If this is not magic then I do not know.

Anyways, Be kind out there.

Best,

Fran