Negativity's first assault takes place on the battle ground of our mind. Undoubtedly, it is when we, as individuals, bring these negative thoughts into submission - and only then that we are able to give way to the power of positive thought. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

It is impossible to say, "I CAN'T," when we're thinking, "I CAN." Even 'The little Engine That Could' knew of this simple, yet resounding truth. Have you ever awoken to hear the words 'bad morning', or ended your evening giving ear to 'bad night'? Contrary to all reason and common sense, I hear you say? Perhaps so, but I'm convinced, had the individual who first bade his neighbor 'good morning' or bade them 'good night' been enslaved by the power of negative thought, the latter may very well have given place to the former. "Bad morning" could very well be the salutation of the day.

As for me and my mouth, I struggle with the unfortunate habit of allowing thoughtless, emotion driven words tumble from my lips before considering the end result. Countless times, I've spewed hurtful words (justified or not) at some unwary soul. How then, do we approach the task of being truthful at all costs? Sure, we all may have been admonished at some time or another early on in life by our parents to season our words with salt, but too much salt can also send shock-waves to linguistic taste buds, leaving a less than palatable taste in one's mouth. Do we simply remain silent when asked our opinion on a matter simply because we fear the outcome of our honesty? Do we bite our tongue, or allow the hearer to bite the bullet after it escapes the chambers of our mouth, triggered by the underlying need to be true to ourselves?

I've often heard the old adage, "It's not what you say, but how you say it." My response to this is, "It's easier said than done." Are we in the habit of following our own advice or are we merely good at giving it to others? It's something to think about, yes? I'm sure we can all recall hearing these famous few words at some stage in our lives, "Think before you speak." The problem with this seemingly sound advice is this: If we think a negative thought before we speak, it still comes out expressing a less than positive frame of mind.
I would have to say then; the all-important thing to remember would not be the avoidance of certain kinds of words, but rather, the subduing and governing of our thoughts.

It's a simple case of cause and effect. Positive thoughts give birth to a positive voice. So, be careful little mind what you think.

Learn more about this author, Crystal Dawn.
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