power of words

Names Matter – Day 206

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Photo: L. Weikel

Words Matter                                  

I’ve written a lot about the importance of words. The impact words have on shaping our reality is huge and filled with responsibility.

Often we do not fully realize the power of our words until we witness first-hand how we often manifest, quite literally, usually, precisely what we tend to repeat over and over in our everyday conversations.

Anyone who’s spent any significant amount of time with me knows how I tend to pay attention to the words that come out of people’s mouths. Because I was taught manifestation techniques early on in my metaphysical studies (I’m talking back in the late 80’s here – yikes), I’ve tried to live my life with awareness of what comes out of my mouth.

Words Hold Power

As a result, we also taught our sons the power of words and encouraged them to take responsibility for what comes out of their mouths. And for the most part, they tend to be careful in the words they choose (OK, with maybe some profanity not getting ‘canceled,’ since, well… I don’t know. Bad example?)

But it wasn’t until our youngest son adopted a cat about four years ago that we all learned just how powerful names are, too.

While in college, Sage adopted a mature cat from an adoption agency associated with a local pet food and supply store. He immediately dubbed the cat “Wally,” after a friend’s cat he’d known who had a similar laid back attitude and luxuriously soft coat.

Wally was obviously pleased to have been liberated from his caged existence. He was always happy to see Sage when he’d get back from class, and he was a welcome addition to Sage’s life, for the most part.

But after a month or two, Wally seemed a little different than when he’d first been adopted. He became noticeably more shy. He would duck when anyone reached out to pet him, as if he might get hit. And while he was always glad when Sage returned to his room, he was starting to hide in places and not come out unless we went looking for him.

Within another month, Sage was frustrated and it was discovered by housekeeping that he was harboring a four-legged, which wasn’t exactly within the rules of the residence in which he was living.

Happy to Reclusive

“Mom?”

As soon as I heard the precise tone and inflection of that “Mom?” I knew I was going to be asked to cat-sit. Of course, I was right. Within days, Wally was delivered.

We all started giving Sage a hard time, because this cat was such an anti-social beast. Indeed he almost rivaled our psycho-kitty, Precious. But he didn’t howl or act bizarre. No, Wally simply hid. We teased Sage as to why in the world he picked him out to adopt. Sage swore he hadn’t acted like that when he’d visited the cat in the store several times before taking the plunge.

That may have been the case, but he wouldn’t come out from under beds. At all. He didn’t sleep with us. He never seemed to be in the same room as us. We didn’t even see him at mealtime. We knew he must be eating after our other cats ate their fill, but they weren’t fighting.  Wally was in full-blown avoidance mode.

Annoyed Tigger – What’s with this “Wally” garbage? – Photo: L. Weikel

Pleading with his eyes

When I would occasionally have a chance to talk to him one-on-one and pet him and scratch under his ears, I started noticing a really weird vibe from him when I would call him by his name; when I would coo “Sweet Wallys” in his ear. He looked like he was pleading with his eyes for me to figure something out. Something that would ease his pain.

I started mentioning to Karl (Sage was back at school by this time) that I felt like he didn’t like being called Wally. I told Karl the cat got a weird look in his eyes when I’d call him by that name.

(Karl gave me a weird look when I said this to him; so I was getting weird looks from everybody.) But still, weeks went by, and Wally was very seriously miserable and reclusive.

Eventually, it was time for us to take Wally in for his booster shots. Sage brought home Wally’s paperwork so I could provide his history to our vet. There, in the paperwork, I discovered Wally’s PRIOR name – the name he’d had when he was left at the shelter: Tigger.

Tigger it was!

I swear to you: as soon as I saw that name on his paperwork, I turned to the cat and asked him if that was his name. Tigger’s eyes lit up. His body language, which I’d not realized was the equivalent of hunched shoulders, immediately relaxed.

That cat morphed before my eyes into his true self: his Tigger self.

It turns out he’s extremely affectionate and wildly astute in understanding when you’re calling him by his correct name. He gained weight; his fur took on a sheen and softness that is irresistible. And he can now be anywhere in our house – and if I call his name, “Heeeeeeeere, Tiggety Tig!” he comes running. To me. A cat. Running to me when I call his name.

It’s been a long time now since he came to live with us. He’s part of the family now.

But one thing I can tell you is that he will always and forever love me like no other. Because I figured out how to call him by his ‘real’ name.

Names matter.

Happy Tigger – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-905)

Electricity Restored, Awareness Heightened – Day 113

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 2 Comments
Aftermath: Still Ominous – Photo: L.Weikel

Electricity Restored and Awareness Heightened

I’m delighted to report that our electricity was restored at approximately 4:30 this afternoon.

The last time we lost our electricity for any significant amount of time was in 2012, after Hurricane Sandy, when it was out for something like ten days or so. What an awful, deeply uncomfortable ordeal. A tiny, insignificant taste, I realize, of what so many others have endured following tornadoes, wildfires, and hurricanes. But enough of a taste to leave a stark impression.

But during that profoundly uncomfortable and very chilly time, we had guests. Our dear friends, Karen Ward and John Cantwell, founders of Sli an Chroi (Path of the Heart) from Dublin, Ireland, were visiting us and presenting a wonderful retreat on Celtic shamanism and spirituality.

Asking Our Guests to Rough It

Karen and John were troopers throughout that experience in 2012. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, for them to ‘make do’ in our home without heat, lights, or running water. Nor did we yet have our fireplace installed (that came a mere two months later – lesson learned!), so we would sit briefly each night, swapping stories over candlelight before retiring to our respective bedrooms and the comfort of cuddling under piles of comforters!

Friends Come Through In a Big and Generous Way

At first we weren’t even sure if we would be able to follow through with offering the program, for we knew no one personally or commercially who had space that was not impacted by the electricity situation. Finally, one of my closest friends in the world offered to host our retreat in her living room – by the light and warmth of her gas fireplace. Janet and her daughters generously opened their doors and quite literally saved the day for all of us!

What a wonderful retreat it ended up being, too. Filled with magic and playfulness, wisdom and ancient insights, we spent the weekend reconnecting with our ancestors (Irish or not, it didn’t matter) in profound and meaningful ways.

Photo: L.Weikel

There are many aspects of our work together that weekend that I could write about here. And there’s a strong chance, too, that I’ll harvest ideas from those myriad experiences as we wend our way through the next 998 posts in my 1111 Devotion. But the one thing I want to focus upon this evening is yet another example of the power of words.

Naturally, a major focus of many of our conversations (of pretty much everyone, everywhere you went in our community) that long weekend centered upon the status of our electricity. It was not uncommon, if one were to simply grow quiet for a moment, to hear several conversations being carried on at once, each one of which was peppered with the phrases, ”We’ve lost our power;” “I have no power;” “How long will we have to be without power?” “When did you lose your power?” – and innumerable variations on that theme.

We’ve Lost our POWER?

It was our Irish visitors who called our attention to our flagrant disregard for the power of our words. In fact, they didn’t know what Karl and I were talking about when we picked them up at the airport and started babbling about our ‘lost power.’ That’s simply not the way a disruption in electrical service is described in Ireland. Ever. As a result, they were acutely aware of the precise words we were using to describe our situation, for they sounded so odd and curiously out of place.

And they noticed it even more when we gathered at Janet’s home for the retreat. They were astonished by how all these Americans were going on and on about having lost their power. They were appalled at our lack of precision with our vocabulary, and rightly called us out on it.

Precision is Important

Thus, since October of 2012, I know I, and my entire family, have been careful to exercise precision in our language when a situation such as last night’s occurs.

To be clear? Our electricity cut out last night. We did not ‘lose our power.’

Has paying attention to how we describe this situation made a tangible difference in our lives? Who’s to say? One thing I do know, however, is that this was and is a case of walking my talk.

I know the power of words. I have seen how the way we phrase our description of situations can have a remarkable impact upon our perception of experiences. And I have seen words, used often or forcefully enough, wield a great deal of power.

So I pass along this lesson from my Irish brother and sister on to you: Use your power well. And don’t ‘lose’ it indiscriminately!

Aftermath: Brilliant Sky – Photo: L.Weikel

(T- 998)

The Power of Words 2- Day Seventy Two

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 2 Comments

 

The Power of Words 2

I thought I had nothing to say last night, but I’m glad something seemed to bubble up to the surface.

I decided to write about the power of words because I’d recently noticed a number of friends and clients repeatedly using some pretty awful-sounding expressions. Most of these expressions are used so routinely in our everyday speech that I’m pretty sure we barely even register them. Indeed, most of us don’t actually ‘hear’ them – even when we’re the ones uttering them.

Worst is the Stuff We Don’t Even Hear

In many ways, that’s an even more insidious state of affairs than when we actively embrace what some might consider ‘hate speech’ or language that is clearly meant to inflict pain of some kind. That’s because the literal meaning of the common expressions we use so often slips right into our subconscious without a blip on our screen.

Interestingly, too, most of these insidiously harmful statements are directed at ourselves. We most often are using the expressions to describe how we feel using hyperbole: obviously, we know when we’re experiencing even the extremely dire circumstances in a business deal – we’re not literally ‘dying,’ or ‘getting killed.’

But if we subscribe to the power (even if small) of affirmations to potentially shift our reality and bring our desires toward us, then surely we must consider what saying, “That’s killing me; that’s killing me; that’s killing me,” over and over to ourselves might have on our health and well being.

When we commit to paying attention to what we speak out loud, we obviously must start by paying attention to our thoughts and to what we’re thinking before we speak. That can lead to some distressing realizations, believe me. Even if we tend to think of ourselves as pretty optimistic, kind, and thoughtful people (to others), we can be in for a rude (and sometimes horrifying) awakening when we realize we rarely extend those courtesies to ourselves, or worse, actually brutalize ourselves internally.

Cancel That!

One technique I was taught a long time ago, to enhance our awareness of what we’re speaking and thereby manifesting, has to do with the Akashic Records. You may recall that the Akashic Records is a vast library of sorts that contains our every thought, word, and deed. Well, I was taught (by my very experienced teacher who specialized in reading the Akashic Records) that the record is not ‘made permanent’ for, I believe, 7-8 seconds. Thus, if we do not want to add weight to a hastily spoken expression, we need to ‘cancel’ it.

Not only does canceling the expression of the objectionable words or sentiment keep it from being made permanent, it also, ideally, makes us more personally aware of our own thoughts and what we’re allowing to come out of our mouths. If we’re vigilant, it can cause us to pay attention and self-correct.

Yes, We Can Harm Others, Too

Another consequence of the misuse of the power of words is something we may or may not be aware of or intend to have happen – causing harm to others. And that’s where my work can get a little edgy for some people.

I’ve removed a number of energetic manifestations of words and intentions from clients’ bodies over the years. Usually they were hurled at a client in fits of rage or fear or loathing. They are almost always literal representations of the thought form that was being projected toward my client.

I’m sure you can guess some of the things I’ve removed: knives and other sharp objects being common manifestations. People ‘stab’ others in the back a lot. And if they do it often enough, or with particular vehemence, it can start to solidify, in a sense, in the luminous energy field surrounding the recipient’s body. If the onslaught persists over time, it can actually create physical symptoms and even take on a physical form.

As a small aside, it is fascinating sometimes to see the creativity with which some people hurl stuff at others.

Self-inflicted Wounds of Another Kind

Oh – and another thing we’re very capable of is manifesting these sorts of things on ourselves. What I mean by that is if we think and feel we’re being stabbed in the back, for instance, the manifestation that I might See and remove may actually have been manifested by you and your persistent thoughts of being the victim of such an onslaught.

My point is that we have a lot more power available to us than most of us realize. And it’s time that we started taking responsibility for that power by cleaning up how we think and speak to and about both ourselves and each other.

Obviously, the final and most powerful manifestation is ‘doing the deed.’ That’s much more easy to control (presumably) (hopefully!), since we can get in serious trouble if we go about literally stabbing people in the back, etc. I’m not even going to waste my breath on that.

The cool thing is, once you start paying attention to your thoughts and words, the easier it becomes to choose more consciously and wisely. It becomes second nature. That’s not to say that lapses don’t occur. But overall? The cumulative effect of taking active responsibility for keeping our thoughts, words, and deeds ‘clean’ and on the up-and-up is better health, a lighter step, a quicker smile, and far fewer experiences of feeling aggrieved.

(T-1039)