Don't read this

The brain is so fascinating. If I say “don’t run,” my son will immediately start running. Then when I exclaim “stop,” he’ll slow down. I know this, but shouting “Walking Feet!” is still just a bit awkward and unnatural. I guess I have to keep at it until it is natural for me to use positive expressions. It’s okay to negate positive expressions or to use words that begin with "un" or "non." It’s much better to say unhappy than depressed. Unhappy still contains happy inside it. Or say less than or not exactly, as in I am not exactly optimistic today. I am not spectacular. I am unhappy. I am non-ebullient. I am the opposite of exuberant! Hyperbole makes me laugh. And laughter is so effective at changing my state when I do happen to feel less than wonderful.

Hyperbole? I'm sure it's Greek. It means an exaggeration. Exaggeration? Latin. Why do I start by saying, don't read this? I'm using a principle of neurolinguistic programming, which states that the brain doesn’t process the not or the don’t. You have to first understand the statement, before you can negate it. That’s why a toddler will almost always spill the milk if you hand her a cup and say, "don’t spill it!" It’s much more effective to say, "hold it carefully and use walking feet while holding it! "

Whoa, “neurolinguistic.” That’s a mouthful! Neuro has to do with neurons in the brain, and linguistic has to do with language. Neuro is from Greek and linguistic from Latin! A mixed heritage for that word.