Words are magic

That's why it's called spelling. We are casting spells with our language.

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Words are powerful because they are a technology to steer attention. And attention is the substance of our reality.

“Being alive consists of nothing other than the sum of everything to which you pay attention. At the end of your life, looking back, whatever compelled your attention from moment to moment is simply what your life will have been.”

As I read the book today, I found the author using a lot of negative words. I did not really appreciate this, because when you tell someone “Don’t think of a pink elephant” they will think of a pink elephant. So writers should be careful when they tell someone “Don’t waste time”, because they are inception-ing the word “waste” and the vibes associated with it into their brain. I would rather say something like “Invest your time” or “Preserve your time”. Similar idea, but a much more positive framing.

I decided to spend some time rewriting parts of the book to use more positive phrasing, because it was starting to bother me and I didn’t want the residue of the author’s haphazard language to linger in my psyche.

My yoga and meditation practice has also attuned me to the subtle body effects of affirmations, mantras, and visualizations on the state of the nervous system.

My biggest advice to readers is to not just passively read books, but to engage with them by writing your own commentary, rebuttals, or rephrases alongside. It’s a slower approach but completely transforms the reading experience.

Here are a few wording changes I made in a paragraph from the book:

• alarming → informing
• accelerating → flowing
• cruel → playful
• flash by → waxing and waning, ebbing and flowing
• lose → savor/relish

These may not seem synonymous as I pulled them out-of-context, but within context they fit pretty well, without changing too much of the author’s intent.

Going forward, I choose to be more mindful with the spells I use.

We all are magicians.