One small word has the power to block your success.
Like a magic spell, one word has the power to stop your momentum and knock you off course on your way to your goals.
What word carries so much power?
The word “but.”
Not convinced? Then ask yourself how many times have you said …
- “I would love to, but …”
- “I know I should be doing that, but …”
- “I really want to, but …”
But, but, but.
It used to be my go-to word whenever I needed an easy excuse. It became my crutch because it helped me avoid taking risks, raising my hand, and stepping forward.
That one small word has a life of its own. It enables you to play small and stay safely inside your comfort zone. But there’s one problem: Your goals don’t wait for you where it’s safe. To reach them, you must cross the threshold.
Tweet: Your goals don’t wait for you where it’s safe. To reach them, you must cross the threshold.
The word “but” keeps you from achieving what you want.
Have you ever noticed how the words that follow “but” typically make you shrink?
- “… but, I don’t know if I can do it.”
- “… but, I’m scared.”
- “… but, what if I fail?”
The word “but” has a negative vibe to it. It’s like a dam that blocks the flow of the power and energy you need to make progress toward your goals.
For most people — especially women — “but statements” are second nature; they’re so overused that you don’t even think twice about them.
What would happen if you paused every time you heard yourself use a “but statement” and you gave it a second thought?
What if every time you started to utter the word “but” you changed it to the word “AND”?
What if you shifted mid-sentence and changed your thought into a positive one?
For example, “I really want to AND I’m going to try.”
That’s much better than, “I really want to, but what if I fail?
Which one would you rather say to yourself? The more negativity you feed your mind, the more negativity you’re going to experience.
In fact, the more negativity you allow into your mind, the more negative energy you put out into the world.
It’s nearly impossible to achieve what you want with a negative mindset and energy.
Entrepreneur, brain researcher, and CEO of PraxisNow John Assaraf contends that your thoughts are the controlling factor in what you manifest and create in your life. In other words, an idea precedes a thing.
“In a very real, concrete sense,” he says, “your beliefs don’t simply reflect your reality, they create your reality.”
When you consider the power of your subconscious mind, it makes you think twice about what thoughts and words you allow in there.
At first, it will take some effort to catch yourself in the midst of making “but statements.” For most people, breaking up with the word “but” is like trying to break a bad habit. It will take courage, commitment, and practice to make it stick.
But, the payoff you get from making this small change will make your effort worth it. When you consciously choose words that serve you, you move closer to taking back control of your actions and getting the results you want.
Are you ready to make a small change that produces big results?
Try this simple experiment: Dump “but” from your vocabulary for just one day.
Every time you think about using the word “but” change it to “and.” Then, follow it with a powerful, positive statement.
It helps to start your day with an intention. When you set your intention to replace “but” with “and” you tell your subconscious mind what YOU want.
Give yourself permission to do this imperfectly. If you slip up, don’t beat yourself up. It’s a hard habit to break. Simply begin again and try to catch the next one.
The key is to be conscious of the words you use and the effect they have on you.
It will get easier the more you practice. Your goal is to become more aware and in control by choosing your words purposefully.
I would love to hear about the results you get from this experiment. Try it for just one day, then come back and share your results in the comments below!
