It’s no wonder that we equate words with power. Laden in meaning, they have the power to uplift, console, give hope and even heal. 

Motivational guru, Tony Robbins is well-known for teaching us how to empower ourselves with his mantra “Change Your Words, Change Your Life: The Simplest Tool I Know for Immediately Transforming the Quality of Your Life.” 

Tony’s take-home message here is clear for all of us. Referring to the spoken word, he suggests that just by choosing the words you use carefully, you can affect your interpretation of an experience. Wow. We’re in. So approaching life with a positive attitude using the right words will lead to a more positive outcome. We decided it was time to apply his savvy technique in our quest to refresh. 

We’ve already associated a bunch of words with our quest to refresh; rejuvenate, recharge, revive, renew. Sounds a little like we’re teaching the letter “R” on Sesame Street, right?! And if you have young kids in your life make sure you ask them what a pirates favorite letter is…..it’s “R” (arrghhhh) of course. Sorry about the bad joke, we’re just being silly as we use words for fun now. 

Seriously though, keeping these “R” words front and center as you forge ahead each day will help you keep track of the goal – to refresh, naturally. Maybe having a few reminders around will help relax us all (yup – found another “r” word) even quicker. We suggest surrounding yourself with carefully chosen words can also change your outlook on life! Let’s call it, “Visual Vocabulary.”

So our hunt for how to present these empowering words began. It didn’t take a lot of arm twisting to get us heading out the door to Michael’s. Coupons in hand we headed off for a field trip! Seems as though Michael’s was expecting us – because we found letters for our project everywhere. Big ones, small ones, wood ones, metal ones, in every shape and color, the list goes on and on.  We loaded the cart up and headed back to our “think-tank.”  

There we brainstormed on how to make these empowering words become visually stimulating to every aspect of our lives. We kept these suggestions in mind:

1. Framed Words – Start with a simple wood frame. Cut pieces of twine a little longer than the frame and use a staple gun to attach to back of the frame. We created our words digitally, but you can handwrite words on blank note cards or photos, too. Hang them on the twine with clothespins. Change out your words to create a whole new piece of art anytime you want.

2. Wrist Reminder – We stumbled across these clever “Wrist Notes” in a gift shop and added our own words. If you can’t find these, then you can create your own by cutting strips of velum paper. Put a slit (be careful to not to go to the edges) on one end. Shape the other end into an arrow with the widest part wider than the slit.

3. Illuminating Marquee – We discovered our Marquee Love Lightbox at Hobby Lobby and have been having fun leaving messages with it ever since. We suggest plugging your lightbox into a timer – so it pops on at night automatically. 

4. Today’s Pick – You probably don’t even have to go to a store for this project. Simply write your empowering words on anything (post-it-notes, recycled paper, rocks, shells, etc) and put them into a bowl, basket or box. 

5. Movable Motivation – Decorating with letters seems to really be “in” these days – so you won’t have problems finding a variety of them. What we really liked about this idea is that it is easy to stop noticing things that are stagnant. The point of our movable letters is to keep them moving so they catch your eye. When you start to forget they are there – it’s time to move them.

6. Message Board – We love the idea of keeping a chalk board with a piece of chalk ready and waiting to be filled. Life is always changing – and the words you need for inspiration are, too. Once again, it seems Michaels was expecting us – because there are all sorts of wonderfully decorative chalkboards available.

7. Big Statement – Banners are also popular right now, but they don’t always contain just the right words. Our DIY chalk letters solve that problem! For our banner we used 12 x 12 chalk cardstock and 10” stencils to make our REALLY BIG statement using colored chalk.

Because words are like fire. Set ablaze they can do a world of good when used in a way that builds a positive force. And just think of the last time you received a sincere compliment, a few kind and sympathetic words or even just a simple, heartfelt thank you…it can turn around your day! Now it’s your turn to pay it forward with the power of language. Surround yourself with big, bold, beautiful words and change your life and the lives around you for the better!