Chapter 9

Dear Diary: The Weight of Words

10/29/25

Dear Diary,

Recently, I’ve been thinking A LOT about how much language matters. Not just in the obvious sense; grammar, tone, or vocabulary, but in the quiet, invisible way our words shape the energy around us.
 
There’s a difference between saying, “I have to go to work” and “I get to go to work.” One sounds like obligation. The other sounds like gratitude. Same calendar event, completely different mindset.
 
It’s wild how a single word can change how we feel about something.
 
“I’m so busy” versus “My schedule is full.”
“I failed” versus “I learned.”
“I’m overwhelmed” versus “I’m in a season of growth.”
 
Each phrase tells your brain and your heart a different story.
 
I notice it most in the way leaders speak. When someone says, “My team won’t do it,” I hear resistance. But when they say, “I haven’t found the right way to inspire them yet,” I hear ownership. One is a wall; the other, a door.
 
Language doesn’t just describe our world, it builds it. Every conversation is a construction site, and every word is a brick.
 
Lately, I’ve been catching myself mid-sentence. Swapping “I can’t” for “I choose not to."
Replacing “If I have time” with “It’s not a priority right now.”
 
It’s uncomfortable, sure, but it's also honest and freeing.
Because words are energy. And energy creates momentum.
 
The way we talk about our lives becomes our lives.
 
So, dear diary, today I’m choosing my words carefully. Not perfectly. Just consciously. Because when I change my language, I change my perspective and when I change my perspective, I change what’s possible.
 
Until next time,
Katelyn