10 Dec Sacred Words to Revolutionize Your Life
You know I’m crazy wild in love with language resonance. I can’t imagine any other way to get in alignment with your destiny than through words. They have their own song they sing into us.
Several years ago I had the pleasure to speak at the International Coach Federation. I was the last speaker on the last day. Whew! I was sure no one would come to this word party. I saw people with suitcases leaving earlier in the morning, but God/dess had another plan. She filled the room to capacity. There was standing room only. A month later the ICF office would call to inform me that it was one of their highest rated events. Thank you God/dess – I’m a honored to be your conduit. Thank you to the participants. I hope the work is still feeding you. Below is the article the ICF asked me to submit after the conference. I still believe in i’s content. I hope you enjoy it.
Sacred Words to Revolutionize Your Coaching, ICF Newsletter 2007
By Melanie DewBerry-Jones, PCC
Coaches know what science finally has proven to be true: language is the instigator of feelings and thus responses (action). What we say matters very much, as well as what we don’t say. In short, words can stunt our growth or inspire it.
As members of the coaching profession, we are not just in the business of growth, but that of evolution. We can support the client’s evolutionary process. Simply helping our clients change is a great starting point, but it is not enough. We can go further. I suggest we hold out the vision of all clients evolving into grounded, conscious, effulgent beings of Oneness, with an experience of wholeness and holiness.
While the client brings their agenda to coaching, I urge you to have an additional declared agenda for the client: one of peace.
Most people use language strategically, either defensively or offensively. We expect a personal attack and defend ourselves from others, or we go on the offensive and hit them (with our ideas, agendas) first. Take a moment and just stand in the physicality of guarding, of holding someone off; really let that settle into your bones. Now get into attack mode; let that settle in. This is what most of us do in our daily communication. That we don’t consciously feel it does not negate its occurrence. This is often called stress.
Our focus is on our clients’ success, both personal and professional. While the client brings their agenda to coaching, I urge you to have an additional declared agenda for the client: one of peace. Deliberately ask the client how more peace would serve their agenda. I have never had a client say that they did not want more peace.
I offer here what 300+ colleagues at the Long Beach conference powerfully experienced: to use Sacred Words intentionally in coaching to affect peace of mind and evolution. Using the Sacred Words takes us out of these painful stances into one of ahhh. Couldn’t you use some ahhh in your life?
The Sacred Words are words you have heard. They are words of beauty, resonance and truth, used in all religions. I want to offer just two things these words will bring to your clients: peace and a sustained experience of unconditional love. When the words are used consistently, this is the experience.
How to use and how not to use Sacred Words for clients’ emotional and spiritual intelligence.
Because the words are rooted in religion, one might be biased toward their use, causing loss of their potential but not their power. If you are resistant, angry or negative about religion, you will associate those emotions with these words. If you are religious, you will love these words, but use them in the context of your religion only. However, to reference the past for this present choice is damaging.
The peace and unconditional love I speak of occurs when you release yourself from the historical context of religion, negative, positive or neutral, and allow yourself to experience the words anew. This can be difficult at first. Our offensive or defensive stances are always informed from a historical context; the past is where we get our information on whether to attack or defend. You are asking the past to choose your present. Can you see how useless that can be?
Try to approach the words as if they are from an entirely new language, one you’ve never heard before; essentially, they are. These Sacred Words have been repurposed from religion, releasing them of dogma while retaining their natural essence of beauty, truth and love. Their meaning is unchanged; only the context and your experience have changed.
Here are a few words to play with. You might start with one that feels “safer,” or familiar, or one that is a challenge.
Sacred – Our time together is sacred. Holy – I see your holiness in all you do. Benevolence – This week my challenge for you is to experience benevolence and to be benevolent.
Allow yourself to connect to the resonance available in these words. Get into their physicality. Use the words throughout your day before you use them with clients. Agree to let the words work through you rather than you becoming masterful using them.
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