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The Power of “And”

April 9th, 2014 by Marcy Schwab

I want you to notice how often you say something and then add a “but” before finishing your thought. What are you doing when you insert “but” into a sentence? You are invalidating the comment that comes before it. Not only that, you are thinking about what’s not possible versus what is. There is a real power in the word “And”. You can have a great work life AND time for you and your family. You can also be true to yourself AND succeed in your work environment. What comes before the conjunction (“but” or “and”) is usually what you know to be true. What follows the conjunction is usually the outcome of that truth. Often, it conveys an emotion — the way you feel about that truth. And it’s almost always negative!

For example, “I work very hard, but I still haven’t been promoted.” Another example, “I want to be more efficient in my job, but I try many things that often don’t work.”

Now, let’s work on working “and” into our vocabulary instead. It’s a more positive approach and opens up possibilities for us.

“I work very hard, and I’m finding ways to get my work noticed so that I’ll get that promotion.”

The words after the conjunction, “and” provide a sense of possibility. There is not “but”, here. We are not in a self defeating place, but in a place that feels positive and open.

Many studies have been done, and I’m sure you can look at yourself for examples, that when you feel positive about your potential, you are more likely to succeed. Start noticing how often you say “but” in your conversations or thoughts and think about how we can work “and” into them more.

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