When Stephanie said to me, “I have this idea, but I know I need a business partner to make it happen” I said, “I can do that!” We had been close friends for over a dozen years. We had worked together on volunteer projects and knew we were a solid team. We often talked about finding something meaningful to do together. Empoword felt like it!

Words matter. One word can change your whole attitude and outlook. I had been using words as motivation and affirmation my whole life without realizing their remarkable power. I grew up in very active, empowering household. My parents were at the forefront of the Twin Cities running scene. In fact, my mom started running before there were even running shoes for women. I was raised to believe that you could do anything you set your mind to do whether it was running a marathon or starting your own business.

The first time I consciously remember using visualization, words and mantra was as a high school senior. My 4 x 800 relay team had a lot of potential, but we were also head cases. Our young coach, who had used visualization during her track career, decided to try it with our little team of four. She would keep us in the locker room after everyone was gone, turn out the lights and lead us through a visualization exercise. We would go through every motion of a race in our heads. Practicing passing the baton. Hearing the crowd cheer. Breathing. Crossing the finish line. Victorious. Her words burned images in our minds eye that helped us achieve our goals. When the city championship came around, we put those words and visualizations into play. And we won.

I continued using visualization and mantra when I started running marathons. Power, strength, confidence. I would repeat these words as I struggled to get through those final miles. During my eighth marathon, my words made all difference. At mile 25, I was in incredible pain, unaware that I had torn both my Achilles tendons. Despite my discomfort, I told myself I could finish the race. Serious mind over body. I chanted my words – power, strength, finish, “yes, I can” – to the finish line. And ended up with a personal record.

Running hasn’t been the only place words have mattered in my life. I have used the power of positive words and thinking with my son as we both struggle, and mostly succeed, with his albinism and Asperger’s Syndrome. (Albinism is lack of pigment which mostly affects vision. Because the eyes need pigment to focus, people with albinism have vision that lacks depth perception and is not correctable with surgery or glasses.) The first doctor we saw told us that our son was legally blind and would be very limited in his physical activities. He might need to use Braille and would certainly never be able to ski – a sport both my husband and I love.

We refused to put limits on our infant son. We found another doctor. We got vision specialists and therapists. We believed he would succeed. We visualized him reading and skiing and thriving. This year, he skied on a team at our local ski hill. Now, he wasn’t the fastest or most talented, but he was the proudest. And so were my husband and I.

When my son was three, he was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a mild form of autism that mainly impacts social interactions. Again I drew on my strength words, only this time from a mental standpoint. I knew in my gut that something was different about the way my son tried to engage with other kids. He could do fractions and read a book at 3, but couldn’t make friends. Everyone - from doctors to family members – told me I was crazy, that I was imagining something. “He is fine. He is just so smart, he is developing unevenly.”

But I trusted my instincts, persevered and got him the help he needed. After, three years of intensive social skills classes, he was mainstreamed in school with no extra assistance. It was painful, but also rewarding to see the outcome. Throughout this time, as I dragged my infant daughter with us from appointment to appointment, I had to remember to breathe and be grateful for all that I had. I intentionally thought these words and they helped me stay empowered, to make the hard choices I had to make and to get the help I needed for my family.

I have taught both my kids the importance of having a positive outlook. We talk about thinking about a positive outcome and picking a few choice words to help you through difficult situations. My son, who still has tough times socially, uses words like breathe and focus to self-regulate behavior. My daughter uses smart to get her through her test anxiety.

So, I knew the Empoword see it, think it, be it philosophy worked. I knew it would help other people like it has helped my family and me. I wanted to share it with the world.

Wendy Lutter is co-Founder and co-CEO of Empoword. She has her MBA in marketing and owns Lutter Marketing, a qualitative research firm. She lives in St. Paul, MN with her husband and two children.

To read more about Empoword, click here.