As a business owner you’re communicating all of the time.
Your thoughts and words have the ability to damage your business and bring it down or to propel you to new heights of joy and success.
The first of the four agreements that Don Miguel Ruiz discusses in his book, The Four Agreements, is ‘Be impeccable with your word.’ The others are: ‘Don’t take anything personally’, ‘Don’t make assumptions’, and ‘Always do your best.’
Of all of the four agreements Ruiz says being impeccable with your word “is the most important one and also the most difficult to honor.”
This isn’t about ‘airy fairy’ or ‘woo woo’ stuff. It’s about paying attention to your thoughts and your words and making a conscious decision, a commitment, to be kind when you communicate. This includes words you think, say, and write to yourself and others.
Ruiz says, “The word is a force, it is the power you have to express and communicate, to think, and thereby create the events in your life.”
It is unkind to use words to judge yourself or others and to gossip about yourself or others.
Here are some examples:
“I don’t know enough to create a successful business.”
“I’m never going to figure out how to do this.”
“She doesn’t know what she is doing.”
“He is so uncaring and arrogant.”
Here are three awesome reasons to be impeccable with your word.
1) You’ll Make Better Decisions
Being a business owner isn’t always easy. There are times of utter exhilaration and also moments of deep despair and disappointment.
The key to keeping yourself as peaceful as possible during the tough times is to be impeccable with your word.
You make much better decisions when you’re feeling peaceful than when you’re completely stressed out.
2) Your Business Will Grow
When you are impeccable with your word you build your integrity and reputation. And remember, people do business with people they know, like, and trust.
How much trust do you give to someone who gossips about others? Think about this quote: “Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you.” Spanish Proverb (
Think about this quote: “Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you.” Spanish Proverb (click to Tweet).
3) You’ll Be Happier
Now who doesn’t want to be happier? It seems obvious but being kind with your thoughts and words brings more joy than being unkind. And you know your happiness as a person has a direct reflection on the success of your business.
Make the decision to be impeccable with your word for yourself, and for your business. Only good can come from it.
© Stephanie Ward
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER, BLOG, OR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you include this information with it: Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to create a meaningful and prosperous businesses. Grab your FREE copy of the special report ’7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time’ plus business building tips, at: https://www.fireflycoaching.com.
I’d love to know what you think about this topic, share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you for a well written and important blog. I’m currently reading The Speed of Trust by Stephen M Covey. He too stresses the importance of being impeccable with your word.
I will be linking to this blog in my next newsletter.
Many thanks for your feedback Mary Jane. Great to know this topic is also addressed in the Covey book. I appreciate your idea to share my post in your next ezine, thank you!
Great post Stephanie and I completely agree. Both Covey’s books: The Speed of Trust and Smart Trust are great reads that reinforce your topic. I also highly recommend “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.” He states, “Team members need to be able to admit their weaknesses and mistakes, to acknowledge the strengths of others, and to apologize when they do something wrong.”
Thank you for your feedback and the book recommendations Kristi, much appreciated. All the best!