By Geoffrey James in Inc. Article
“Your level of success is predetermined by the words you use every day. Avoid these five “failure” words.
1. Luck
… Believing in luck focuses your thoughts on an imaginary construct that neither you nor anybody else can change or affect. What’s worse, luck is an excuse that explains away failure (“It was just bad luck”) and devalues your successes (“It was just good luck”).
2. Enemy
… Enemies are opponents in warfare, when people are killing one another. Business is about making things better, not killing people. The moment you demonize competitors by calling them enemies, you close off your business options. Today’s competitors are often tomorrow’s partners.
3. Rejection
Wouldn’t it be nice if people always said yes to your ideas? Well, sometimes people aren’t going to like your ideas, or even you personally, for that matter. … Rather than using a word that automatically makes you miserable, concentrate on changing your approach or approaching somebody else.
4. Hate
I cringe every time I hear somebody use this word in casual conversation. At work, it’s usually something like: “I hate my boss” or “I hate my job.” Hate is a sick word, and it creates sickness in your body. Every time you use that word, you might as well be sticking a cancer cell in your body. Seriously. …
5. But
I’m sure you know somebody who can’t say anything about any idea, plan, or activity without crutching the sentence with the word but. … There’s a substitute for but that actually creates momentum: the word and. Try it next time a but is about to emerge from your mouth.”
