Evolve Your Language to Access Your Desired Life
One more train of thought (for now) riffing on these two sentences:
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.” - Wittgenstein
On that same sentiment from David Whyte:
“You cannot enter any world for which you do not have the language…”
Previously I wrote how movement is like language in that the more fluent you are in movement, the more experiences of the world open up to you. Read more here. In a separate post, I explored how nuanced language like metaphor, may grant access to a way of movement not previously known to you. Read that one here.
But there’s one more frontier… and that’s the future…
The reason I include David Whyte’s version of the same idea is that the original quote with the word “limits” implies a boundary that cannot be crossed, whereas for some reason, I’m reading David’s version as implying that IF you DID have the language, you MAY enter another world. I see it more as a warning, a challenge, and even a sign post for how we should approach accessing new worlds we wish to enter.
I believe very often, we are not able to access the full vision (or version) of our lives because we have not truly articulated what we intend for our future selves.
If the way we speak about our future is vague and generalized, it’s as if you’re a rudderless ship with sails down — just being carried wherever the current takes you. And in that case it’s not really your intended life that you end up living but whatever is normalized and determined by culture or happenstance. Chances are you never really end up where you wanted to go.
If you speak about the future using the same language, references, and rules from your past, it’s like plugging the same code into a computer and expecting a different output… (or as the old saying goes: the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results)…
If you truly wish your future to be different from your past, If you have larger, better dreams for yourself, you need to develop a new language that would act as a key to unlock the access to that brave new world.
How do we develop this new language?
I’ve been exploring some ideas related to evolution — and really that is what we are talking about — how do we evolve (in this case with our language) to fit in to a new and desired world?
Whether we’re looking at changes in either biology or culture, some principles of evolution seem to be consistent:
Variation - there needs to be some variation from what came before
Selection - that variation needs to be selected by the species, culture, or individual
Retention - that selected variant needs to sustain and be maintained over time
So, if you aim to speak a new language adapted for the future in which you wish to live, try putting these principles to use:
Variation: Begin exploring, experimenting, visualizing, meditating and using any creative practice you can to ignite your imagination.
What would be different in your intended vision for your life in contrast to what you are living now? Become clear on what those variations are. Visualize what this new world looks like, draw it, find pictures of it. Conjure the sensations of this new world: the sounds, smells, tastes, touch as well as the actions and emotions. Notice the first part is about sensations, images, and experiences. If you go directly to language and describing “what you want” too soon, you are likely operating from the logical left side of the brain that will seek to stay in your old operating system replicating the past and using the same language you’re used to. So, take some time here.
Selection: After you’ve spent some time exploring the variation stage, then start putting names to those things that most light you up from your explorations.
Notice them, and consciously name them. This might take the form of a vision board, or a journal, or sticky notes on your wall. Work on not only putting a name to them but being able to describe them in clearer detail. You’ve selected variations that you want to see in your life, then you find more precise ways to speak about them. The next step is to become selective in your present life: look for where those things exist in your life now. Because you’ve developed a descriptive language about that thing, become aware of what matches those descriptions most closely and, as best you can, start gathering those things around you.
If you envision living in a mountainous region of a foreign country, and one of the variations that entranced you about that vision is the smell of good, strong, roasted coffee, well, seek out a coffee you can find now, that best matches what you imagined, and start to make that smell and taste part of your daily life. Let it pleasantly remind you of that vision on a daily basis. And who knows, if the exact country you imagined moving to was unclear, maybe the type of coffee: Columbian, Nicaraguan, Kenyan… might give you clues as to your where you’re headed.
It’s possible the connections are not so direct: in your vision, you might see yourself with a shiny, red sports car. Maybe that’s not feasible in your present life… and yet your descriptive language of the shade of red stays in your mind… and maybe you find yourself at a paint store buying that same shade of red and decide to paint your bathroom that new color… it’s possible you discover that the feeling you get from that color is what you were after all along.
The next necessary step is Retention:
Practice, practice, practice…
Keep imagining
Keep using the words and phrases you found about your imagining.
Keep finding where that descriptive language shows up in form in your present life.
The old saying goes:
That which you focus on expands.
Our language directs our focus whether in thoughts or spoken out loud.
However, a new variant that is not retained does nothing for long term change or evolution. But a desired variation, selected and practiced until it sticks will not only change how you think and speak but may be the key to grant you access to a new world.
And once you’ve gained access you can truly gain fluency in your new language in the best way possible - total immersion.
Would you like some help in this practice? Book a Free Consultation and let’s chat.