THE WORDS WE TELL OURSELVES

by Jennifer DePriest

We are living in a time where words come at us from all directions. It can be overwhelming if we are not careful. However, I have found that I am leaning in to examine more closely the words I tell myself and my children.

I am reading books that inspire me and teach me new things. I recently watched an interview with Dr. Maya Angelou, and when asked what her favorite word was, she said, “Love.” This was a beautiful God wink for me because that is the very essence of my little corner of the world. In both my home and writing cottage, hearts and words of love and hope abound.  

While it seems that chaos is swirling around, I am finding peace within my own little corner of the world because of the words I choose to read and display within my surroundings. I am taking the time to be still so that I can see when God is winking, and hear Him when He whispers.

Recently, I started adding a weekly video called Words on Wednesday to my Curiosity Cottage Facebook page. I love sharing with others the books I read and quotes I find. The chaos is actually bringing clarity to my life, and I hope by sharing my own journey, it will help others find clarity during this time as well.

I think it is important to remember that even if we have never had anyone speak words that bring hope and healing into our lives, we can do this for ourselves. In one of my recent Words on Wednesday videos I shared the following verse.

“So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning.”
~ Job 42:12

I find this verse very encouraging and inspirational. You don’t have to print words on notecards for them to have a positive impact on your life, sticky notes will also do.

When was the last time you wrote a note to a loved one just to thank them for being in your life? When was the last time you patted yourself on the back? If we take one word and one sentence at a time, to speak hope and life and love into others, then slowly but surely, we can change ourselves, our families, our communities, and our world.

XO,
Jen