Speak Life

Overflow with Craig Booker

Speak Life

Chinwé opens this chapter by telling a story about a girl named Halle. Halle was a 16-year-old high school junior. At first, Chinwé was blown away by the confidence, poise, and self-control. By the end of their first session, she realized Halle was struggling. According to Chinwé, Halle was plagued by negative self-talk.

What Chinwé learned was that while Halle had a wonderful, loving home environment, Halle had experienced relationships where her friend groups ridiculed and ostracized her.

Halle proved a common myth wrong in that many people falsely believe that if terrible things haven’t happened to them, then they have no reason to experience feelings of despair.

Affirm Kids Constantly

Many kids are exposed to an overwhelming amount of critical and accusatory voices around them. What this means is that is more important now than ever for kids and teens to hear words of affirmation.

A Call to Fathers

It is crucial for fathers to know the important role they play in the life of their son or daughter. The words you say mold them and have a life-long impact on their lives.

“If you are the father of a daughter, I have a special request of you: Affirm your daughters. Not just by words and gestures, but by intentional and consistent actions that send the message you are there for them. The research is clear. Fathers play a pivotal role in their daughter's self-image, self-esteem, and body image.”

Spark Purpose and Passion

It can be difficult to know what to say when a kid or teen is in the midst of despair. Kids and teens hold so much potential, yet many times they don’t realize it. As parents, mentors, coaches, or caring adults, we play a pivotal role in the development of that potential. The words we use to encourage and lift up children around us hold great influence on the future of our community.

Oftentimes, in teens, adults can see glimpses of greatness where gifts and abilities have yet to be developed. By recognizing and calling out what potential you see you can provide hope while speaking God’s blessings over their lives.

It is important that adults pay attention to tone, eye contact, and intentionality.

If you find yourself wondering where to begin here are a few tips.

Start out by saying things like:

- “You are amazing!”

- “You are so bright!”

- “I am proud of you!”

It is also important to remind them to whom they belong by saying:

- “God is going to do something great in and through you.”

- “You are fearfully and wonderfully made.”

- “You are a child of God.”

Speaking positive words to yourself can change the way your brain is wired. Following several decades of research, scientists know that the human brain is plastic, meaning it can adapt and change physically and chemically. In Dr. Caroline Leaf’s book Switch on Your Brain, she says that humans can change the structure of the brain through the thoughts we consistently think.

In their book titled Words Can Change Your Brain, Dr. Andrew Newberg and Marc Robert Waldman wrote, “…a single word has the power to influence the expression of genes…”

So despite what some might lead you to believe, our words matter, A LOT!

Get Rid of the Ants

Dr. Daniel Amen came up with the idea of Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) after an infestation of ants in his home. Ever since, he has taught his patients how to get rid of the Ants that are interrupting their lives.

Quick science lesson

Did you know that scientists found that we have an average of 6200 thoughts in a day? With each and every thought, our brains release chemical energy. With all of those thoughts, there are bound to be good ones, neutral ones, a