Words are are more meaningful than we would think. And they are also much more powerful than we would be ready to admit. Actually it is possible to shift worldviews dramatically by shifting the meaning of words. 
There are several ways to achieve this effect:
- Refer back to the etymology of the word and its Greek or Latin meaning will shift the modern use of it. Example: ‘career’ means a ‘race‘, hence in a world of scarcity! Is that really what we mean?
- Use a metaphor encompassing this word but bringing it on a different level than its common usage, thus shifting the image. For example, ‘fishing‘ can be used in the context of recruitment with a specific meaning.
- Create a new word (or promote a word from an other language, or revive an old word) to describe a concept. For example ‘captious‘ is a qualification applicable to people tending to find fault or raise petty objections (for example in meetings). Now you have a word you can use to describe a behavior you could not qualify before! Suddenly lots of meeting participants seem to be captious!
“The limits of your language are the limits of your world” (Ludwig Wittgenstein). Overcome that limit! Hat tip to Prof. Neil Bearden for ‘Captious’ and insights on the power of words in coaching
