The Power of the Word: Speaking with Integrity and Intent
The Power of the Word: Speaking with Integrity and Intent
A reflection on language, energy, and the way we communicate, starting with ourselves.
Words carry energy.
That’s something we’ve all felt, even if we couldn’t name it at the time.
Maybe it was the moment someone said just the right thing and it cracked your heart open. Or maybe it was a time you said something you didn’t mean… and felt the sting of it long after.
In the Toltec tradition, words are seen as one of the most powerful tools. They can create beauty or destruction, heal or harm. This is why the First Agreement, Be Impeccable with Your Word, is such a foundational teaching.
But what does that really mean?
It starts with you.
Being impeccable with your word doesn’t mean being brutally honest.
It doesn’t mean saying something harsh and calling it “truth.”
It’s not a free pass to say, “I’m just telling it like it is.”
Impeccability means speaking from the heart, with clarity, kindness, and care.
It’s about choosing the energy behind your words.
Because truth shared with love can open a door.
Truth used like a weapon only spills more blood.
So be mindful of your tone, your intention, and your delivery.
Not to shrink or censor yourself, but to honor your word as sacred.
It’s how you speak to yourself, too.
That inner dialogue we carry matters. More than we realize.
We often repeat things to ourselves that we would never say to someone we love:
“I’m not doing enough.”
“I messed that up again.”
“No one really sees me.”
These words, whether whispered or thought in silence, are spells. Repeated enough, they become beliefs. And those beliefs shape the way we move through the world.
But we can choose differently. We can soften the voice inside. We can shift the story.
A few questions to sit with this week:
What words have I inherited that no longer belong to me?
What am I ready to stop saying?
How can I speak with more intention, especially when things get hard?
This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being present.
It’s about bringing awareness to what you say and how you say it.
It’s about speaking to yourself and others with the care that says, “I see you. I honor you. I’m listening.”
Your word is your brush, and the life you’re living is your art.
Speak into existence something beautiful.