The Power of Language

The Power of Language

Before working with my now coach Steve Hardison, I didn’t fully understand how language shapes our reality. Still, over time, I realised that what I say can deeply impact my personal and professional life.

Recently, I shared this perspective with a client who was feeling trapped and uncertain about what they wanted to do. As they spoke, I noticed their language kept framing their challenges in the present tense, almost as if these struggles were permanent. I asked this client to try a slight shift: instead of saying, ‘I am struggling,’ to say, ‘I was struggling.’

This simple change can be powerful. It shifts the story from being stuck to forward movement.

Try this yourself. Consider how moving from ‘I can’t’ to ‘I couldn’t’ creates room for new possibilities. It might seem small, but I’ve seen this kind of shift unlock a lot of potential for myself.

Steve Hardison once said that language is our leverage point for growth.

I’ve seen first-hand how true that is – time and time again when I coach people into becoming aware of their language, they begin to see themselves differently, capable of much more.

In my life and while coaching clients, I am constantly listening to the words we use because I don’t want to step over the gold since I know they create the realities we live in moment by moment.

This is one of the things I address many times at the AJC Coaching Career School. Here’s a behind-the-scenes school video in which I talk more about this and the impact of it in our coaching practice:

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