An instructive if macabre story about the power of our speech

Here’s an amazing if macabre story about the power of our speech. It comes from Dr. Joseph Murphy’s masterpiece The Power of Your Subconscious Mind:

Every two or three years I give a series of lectures at the London Truth Forum in Caxton Hall . . . . Dr. Evelyn Fleet, the director, told me about an article which appeared in the English newspapers dealing with the power of suggestion. This is the suggestion a man gave to his subconscious mind over a period of about two years: “I would give my right arm to see my daughter cured.” It appeared that his daughter had a crippling form of arthritis together with a so-called incurable form of skin disease. Medical treatment had failed to alleviate the condition, and the father had an intense longing for his daughter’s healing, and expressed his desire in the words just quoted.

Dr. Evelyn Fleet said that the newspaper article pointed out that one day the family was out riding when their car collided with another. The father’s right arm was torn off at the shoulder, and immediately the daughter’s arthritis and skin condition vanished.

This must have occurred in the late 50s or early 60s England, as the book was first published in 1963. Dr. Murphy then goes on to note:

 I’ll say.

What you speak is what you live

Though extreme, this narrative highlights two points I can use in my life right now:

1. I aim to be much more attentive to my everyday phrases.
2. I will never say: I’d give my right arm . . . for anything!

In my youth I was fond of saying “I’d give my left testicle” for . . . whatever — whatever was my passing fancy of that moment. Fortunately for me it was for a passing interest and not a passionate longing, or else I might be flying solo testicle today.

Your speech reflects what you expect from life. When I’ve been attentive to where my excitement is when I speak, some themes are way cool (my genuine thrill for others when they experience the flow of good in their lives), and other themes are way past their use-by date.

The next post will address this further.

So for me this is a reminder that it’s back to the basics — back to Number 1 above — being much more attentive to the stories I tell. This blogsite is part of that effort.

Hearing stories from others who’ve revolutionized their thinking, which translates into how they speak about themselves and their world, is the best reinforcement I can imagine. Thanks for all that each of you have shared so far —

Posts in a similar vein

• Keep it in until you can’t
• Speaking to your Power: This one’s for you
• The great Caruso shouts down throat issues