Is this the weakest word in the English language?

Perhaps the weakest word I come across people using day to day, in and out of therapy, is the word:

‘Try’

Think about it for a moment.

Have you ever:

• Tried to get around to calling someone to meet up?
• Tried to get that thing completed?
• Tried to change a something in your life?
• Tried to remember something for later?
• Tried to make it to a party you were invited to?

If you have ever tried to do anything then chances are you didn’t ever quite manage to pull it off or get it done (and yes I’m sure you had a good reason why this happened).

The word’ try’ is one of the most disempowering words that exists – and people use it all the time:

• I’m going to try and lose weight
• I’ll try and make it to the gym
• I’ll try and be more confident
• I’ll try and stay calmer etc

As a simple experiment I want you to touch your nose with your finger. Success?!! Then I want you to not touch your nose with your finger – your hand doesn’t go anywhere. Now, I want you to try and touch your nose with your finger. Go on! Try! Don’t touch your nose cause that’s just doing it and don’t not touch your nose cause that’s not doing it. What are you going to do when you try to do it?

You’re going to do nothing (ok maybe you thought about it, maybe you even thought really really hard about doing it for a bit but the end result was just the same as doing nothing).

And I’m sure there are times when you’ve said you’ll try and do something then have got it done – however, when you think back I’m sure you’ll see that there was a moment when it changed from trying to do it to deciding to actually do it.

So what’s the message? If you want to do something then go ahead and do it. If you don’t want to do something then just don’t do it. Trying to do it just presupposes that you won’t do it anyway.

And next time someone tells you that they’ll try and call you, or try and meet you, or try and get that report to you on time, you probably ought to have a little alarm bell ringing at the back of your mind.

Do you find you often try instead of do?

If you want to find out more about how hypnotherapy could help you then contact me to arrange a free 30 minute initial consultation.

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Hypnotherapy appointments are available in Ely, Newmarket & Cambridge.