This post is written by James Burgess, a writer and teacher of astrology. He is the creator of the 7 Words System.
Our personal characteristics can be observed through the lens of 7, and these 7 aspects are described within the 7 Words System as being represented by these simple words:
- No
- Hello
- Thanks
- Goodbye
- Please
- Sorry
- Yes
Using my simple quick questionnaire as a prism, we can separate out these 7 bits of us and see in detail who we are and where we might want to concentrate our efforts for self-development.
The words also have correspondences to the planets. The Sun is “No”, Mercury is “Hello”, “Thanks” is Venus, and “Goodbye” is Mars, “Please” would be Jupiter, “Sorry” is Saturn, and the Moon is “Yes”.
Each of us at times has more ease with some of the words and difficulty with others; we can see them as our ‘strengths and weaknesses’.
These strengths and weaknesses certainly change over time and according to what aspect of life we are engaged in. This is because work, relationships, family, and friends all stimulate within us a different approach to life.
Yet despite the variations, there is an inherent pattern that describes us and this changes much more slowly indeed.
Perhaps we are a ‘strong No, weak Please’ type of person or a ‘strong Hello weak No’ type, and each combination draws a certain pattern of life experiences and emotional attitudes.
Of these two examples, the first person might frequently attract unenjoyable situations, not willing to participate yet not knowing how to envision a better outcome. The second would always be a little too busy, never able to focus on one goal, being open to all possibilities and yet, unable to choose which is most suitable, ends up doing nothing particularly well.
If we feel invaded, if we feel angry or bullied, if we lose our sense of self-determination…then our ‘No’ must be strengthened.
No is required when we need to prevent others from taking advantage. Also, if we are confused, overwhelmed or uncertain about who we are, then a stronger No is indicated as necessary.
How to make No stronger? By saying No. These words are not meant to be subtle and metaphysical; No means No.
When we say No more clearly, more frequently and more reliably, then a quality of gravitas develops within us, we are respected and can hold our space much more convincingly.
A more complete description can be found on my website, but in brief terms, here are some descriptions of the qualities of the other words.
The 7 Words
Hello
Hello is required when the scope of our life is too limited and we are ready to expand our horizons of interest, our reach, and our influence. We need to meet new people and new ideas, open up to seeing things from a new perspective, doing things we’ve never done and perhaps letting go of some of our prejudice and judgemental attitudes.
Thanks
Thanks keeps love alive, in fact it not only expresses love but also creates it. Our love of another is best expressed with frequent gestures of appreciation– tokens of what is felt in the heart. Love of life is articulated in the same way, for example, appreciating rain and seeing it not as the source of a depressing ‘cold and wet’ feeling but as the reason for nature being so green and beautiful.
Goodbye
Goodbye is the chief ingredient of dynamism. If we are weak on Goodbye then we will get stuck, and to pull ourselves out of the rut we are in we must make, and act upon, a decision to move on. The keywords for Goodbye are these: realization, decision, completion, and freedom.
Please
If Please is weak then we tend not to take clear affirmative action. Please is a very powerful magic spell. If we direct a clearly-stated request politely to the appropriate person then, more often than not, things will go our way.
Sorry
Sorry heals resentment, so if we have no great willingness to speak this word then we are almost certainly resented for something or other. Strangely the polarity is also true, we heal our own feelings of resentment by saying the word. As with all these primary words, it has to be said sincerely.
Yes
Yes is said to others and to life when we feel we can trust the outcome. If we are weak on Yes then we might need to uncover and deal with trust issues. A strong Yes supports an adventurous spirit and an easy flow of life because we tend to accept things and adjust to whatever comes our way. Yes ranges from reluctant permission to willing surrender.
Of course, all the words interact in a complex fashion, and it may be necessary to deal with your weak No before being able to address your weak Yes.
For example, you may be right not to trust others if, having a weak No, you are unable to resist their abusive disregard for your sensitivity. Usually a strong Yes goes hand in hand with a strong No.
If you are interested to explore and discover yourself using the 7 Words System, try out my 5-minute personality questionnaire or consult the summaries of the various combinations, which are explained in my article, ‘What Type Are You’.
You can also download ‘My Practical Guide to the 7 Words System’.
