188 Choose Your Words Wisely

What words will you choose to live by today? If you enjoyed this episode, check out show notes and more at lewishowes.com/188. Get more from Lewis! Get my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy! Get The Greatness Mindset audiobook on SpotifyText Lewis AIYouTubeInstagramWebsiteTiktokFacebookX

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:03Lewis Howes?

  Five Minute Friday, episode number 188, and you've gotta choose your words wisely.

• 0:12Lewis Howes?

  Leo Viscaglia said, "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

• 0:30Lewis Howes?

  Now, you are what you speak. Your words come together to write the story of your life, so you must choose your words wisely. The words you think, the words you write, the words you sing, the words you dream. In many creation stories, the word is considered the origin of all life. The word is the catalyst, the intention, the incantation, to manifest what was previously only imagined, as if when something is first spoken, it only then becomes real. Words truly are magic. Remember every stage magicians reveal? The word we all associate with magic, it's "abracadabra." With the flick of a wrist or the twist of

• 1:14Lewis Howes?

  the hand, something appears or disappears. The word "abracadabra" is said to have come from an Aramaic word, which means "I create as I speak," or "It came to pass as it was spoken." Now, in 2000, the New York Times bestselling book, "The Hidden Messages in Water," by Japanese author Masaru Iomoto, explored the ability of words to directly affect the material world. Now, Iomoto proposed that human consciousness can have an effect on the molecular structure of water. He believed that water was a blueprint for our reality, and that emotional energies and vibrations could change the physical structure of water.

• 1:59Lewis Howes?

  Now, Imoto's water crystal experiments consisted of exposing water in glasses to different words, pictures, or music, and then freezing and examining the aesthetic properties of the resulting crystals with microscopic photography. Now, Imoto claimed that water exposed to positive speech and thoughts would result in visually pleasing crystals being formed when that water was frozen, and that the negative intention would yield ugly, frozen-looking crystal formations. He also believed that polluted water could be cleaned through prayer and positive visualization. Now, even though Imoto's work is widely considered pseudoscience, there was something

• 2:42Lewis Howes?

  very compelling about his hypothesis. Because the human body is said to be nearly 60% water, if perhaps Imoto was on to something real, the words we use within our body may have a profound effect on our physical health and well-being. Through more widely accepted research in neuroscience, we do know that our choice of words has a direct and immediate effect on our emotional response, and makes our brains inclined to respond in specific ways. This is true whether we are reacting to spoken words delivered by someone else, or to the inner-self talk that we hear ourselves saying inside our heads.

• 3:23Lewis Howes?

  Now, Jeff Brown said, "Words, so powerful, they can crush a heart or heal it. They can shame a soul or liberate it. They can shatter dreams or energize them. They can obstruct connection or invite it. They can create defenses or melt them. We have to use words wisely." Now, at the end of World War II, the Allies sent a message to the Japanese demanding surrender. The Japanese responded with the word "makusatsu," which translates as either "to ignore" or "to withhold comment." It is said that the Japanese meant that they wished to withhold comment, to discuss and then decide.

• 4:06Lewis Howes?

  The Allies translated "makusatsu" as "the Japanese deciding to ignore the demand for surrender." The Allies, therefore, ended the war by dropping the atomic bomb and transforming the world we live in forever. Margaret Atwood said, "A word after a word after a word is power." What words will you choose to live by today? And how will you define yourself? What power do you carry with a single word? Make sure to use your words wisely.

• 4:44Lewis Howes?

  I hope you guys enjoyed this five minute Friday, episode number 188. Thank you so much for listening and for tuning in each and every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the School of Greatness podcast. Words are extremely powerful and there are so many moments in my life where I can remember that when my energy was low and when I was feeling down and out and when things weren't going well, it's usually because I was saying things internally or externally that directed and guided those feelings. And when I shift my feelings and my energy shifts to speaking clearly with my words and

• 5:24Lewis Howes?

  powerfully with my words and, and coming from inspiration as opposed to depression or anger or frustration, my body tends to follow. My body doesn't lie with what I say and what I think inside. So as a friendly reminder today, guys, make sure to use your words wisely. Be loving to yourself internally. Don't beat yourself up. Love on yourself. Let yourself know that it's okay if you make mistakes and that you're going to learn from them and move forward and continue to use your words publicly with what you share, what comes out of your mouth. Make sure they're very intentional because what you say, your body will follow and they will feel. So, thank you guys again so much for listening to this.

• 6:08Lewis Howes?

  If you enjoyed this and you think a friend would like it, please share it with your friends. LewisHowes.com/188. You guys know what time it is. It's time to go out there. And do something great.

• 7:18Lewis Howes?

  You