"We may be worn and dented right now, but that’s OK. Shiny swords don’t win wars."
Shiny words can, however. Throughout history, parallels have been drawn between swords, the intellect and the raw power of the spiritual realm, or one’s personal connection to the divine. The more succinct one’s words are, say legend and lore, the more in alignment they are with a higher purpose or goal, the greater their efficacy. Such is the power of a personal affirmation, an ancient concept that is probably most widely known in its biblical context of “I Am.”
Fast-forward a millennia or two, and we now know there is a whole science to “I Am," whether the study of mirror neurons, thoughts as viable energy that can affect the quantum field, or the now infamous Law of Attraction that uses affirmations to create a vibrational match between where we are and where we want to be. Thoughts are essentially messengers. How important then are the things, the messages, we tell ourselves.
I find it intriguing and amusing that science is still catching up to what the iconic character Evelyn Couch conveyed with “Towanda!” in that parking lot scene from the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes.” You remember it, right? Or how the self-fulfilling prophesy of Babe Ruth's pointed finger to the sky made us believers in our own destiny; and the late poet Maya Angelou's words beckoned us to look up and try again in “Still I Rise.” Unbridled, unapologetic, in-your-face inner power. Swords of belief. I'm not a victim. I can do anything. I rise up. It's almost melodic, isn't it?
Affirmations are the modern-day battle cry. Whether large or small, they can be so empowering if only we have the courage to face the truth of who we really are and what we really want. Courage. That used to be news anchor Dan Rather’s sign-off affirmation.
Words have the power to cut like a sword or to heal, according to the Bible; Buddhism says the sword can cut through ignorance, while the esoteric imagery of tarot marries the symbolism of the sword, intellect and spirit into various archetypes that depict the human experience. The practice of transcendental meditation uses a total nonsense word as a vehicle to the subconscious—this has been documented to release not only the social conditioning and behaviors that no longer serve one’s optimal well-being, but more of the mind’s total capacity as well such as psychic abilities. Affirmations reprogram the peripherals between the impossible and possible; our self-imposed barriers and unlimited potential.
In short, words are shiny, energetic affirmations that shape our reality.
As so many of us remain hunkered down within our homes, seemingly distanced and virtually untouchable by the outside world, it's easy to forget the true source of our power. We think and feel, therefore, we are. Who or what are you?
Choose your battle cry, make it sing. Mine: I Am fierce and I Am love.
