I often speak about the role humor plays in framing the lens through which we experience events. In a similar way, dozens of psychological studies have found that subtle changes in language and in the way we frame our thoughts can have a big impact on our behavior. For example, people who imagine the mind-set of a university professor do better on general-knowledge tests than people who imagine the mind-set of a soccer hooligan. When volunteer test groups did a series of word exercises, the people whose words all related to old age, such as gray, wrinkled and bingo, walked significantly slower down the hallway after the exercise than the people whose words didn't relate to old age.

 

This concept of priming has been illustrated over and over, and it's a great reminder to be conscious of our internal and outer dialogue and to be aware of how we frame ideas at work and events in our lives. As the father of Taoism, Lao Tzu, once cautioned, "Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habit. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."