I’ve been thinking about business and the way words shape our realities.
I don’t think y’all will disagree with me if I say that our culture seems to fetishize business. “OMG, I am SO BUSY!” is something I find myself saying all the time, and if I’m not busy, I feel guilty, as though I am slacking off. I am not alone in this, either. The only time people seem to criticize my business is if their interest are not represented in it. But “busy” and “productive” are not necessarily the same thing; if anything, they are almost opposites. When I think “busy” I imagine a person running around trying to do everything at once. When I think “productive” I imagine a person working in an orderly fashion to get a lot done.
I want to be less busy and more productive.
Now, over the last year or so I have made a conscious effort not to say things like “I’m broke!” because, honestly? I’m not. I’ve chosen to build up a crapload of debt and live a remarkably luxurious lifestyle. I drive a new car, wear new clothes, own several pairs of shoes that cost over $100 each, and live in very spiffy (and pricey) apartment. The truth is that I have less spending money than I’d like because of the payments for all these things, and that’s okay. I’ve managed to help myself feel okay with it by saying things like “I’m paying off my debts!” instead of “I have no money!”
I think I need to do the same thing with my business. Instead of saying “ARGH, I am SO BUSY!” I will say things like “I’m doing a lot of things lately!” That’s a more positive statement, isn’t it? More proactive. Less whiny.
Words have a lot of power – might as well harness that power to make my life better, eh?
