Someone told me recently she had hit rock bottom. The source of her anguish was difficulty at work. Her family was fine – everyone was healthy. Her finances were in great shape – no problem there. She had no physical malady. Yet her view of her life was “rock bottom.”

Most of us know that the way we speak shapes our reality. The more we talk of “rock bottom” the more our life takes on the characteristics of that lowest depth. So why do we do that to ourselves?

I think part of the problem is that we don’t know what we should be saying. We take a convenient term that fits the thing we are noticing at the moment and we place the label. Since it seems to fit we use it over and over, not realizing that every time we say it we make it more valid, more solid, more a part of our reality.

My boss is a jerk.
This job sucks.
I can’t.
I give up.
Why is nothing easy?
My child is a difficult child.
I’ve hit rock bottom.

So what’s the alternative? If our words shape our reality, what should we be saying? Try these on. Pick one that works for you. If it fits, use it over and over until it is your reality.

This is nothing.
I’m better than this.
I can beat this.
I can do it.

Or one of my favorites:

Wow! I am so unbelievably lucky.