29 November 2020
You often hear that words cannot harm you, but I am not convinced. I believe that behind the meaning, words have tremendous strength and energy. When you become mindful of the words you use, you can sense the dimension from where they originate. People know if your words come from a place of despair and frustration or if they come from a place of peace and helpfulness. Today is a good day to pay attention to the source of your words and how you use them to communicate.
Be careful of the words you use to describe yourself. It is OK to admit when you make a mistake, but calling yourself a derogatory name has never served you. Insulting yourself doesn’t come across as an act of humility. Insulting yourself is just as destructive as insulting others. Words are fuel. They can feed any kind of energy – destructive or restorative. Which energy would you like to send out today? Words are potential. They contain possibility for any manner of wisdom or despair. What potential would you prefer to spread today? Another strategy would be cut back on words and replace them with silence. No words or just a few of them can be more powerful than many of them. Choose silence to be the most effective response of all!
This morning think of ways of becoming a creative wordsmith. Eliminate words that have held you back and develop a new vocabulary that reflects the kind of environment you want to see in your world. When someone asks you how you are, avoid status quo words like “fine,” or “ok,” or “not bad.” Those words have no energy. Reimagine your vocabulary to reflect how you really want to be, internally. “How are you?” Respond with something new – “I’m excited about finishing some tasks today.” “I’m looking forward to planning this meeting for tomorrow.” “I’m feeling focused and energized today because I slept well last night.” These words have power. They will surprise those who have a dull existence. It will help others rekindle joy that has faded from their daily life.
Contemplate new ways of communicating today. Find ways to incorporate silence, too. It’s time to build back some enthusiasm for life through words! Even in an everyday routine, words can restore and heal. Remove words that have not served you, and replace them with words that build up, words that make others laugh and smile, and that bring back “life” into daily existence. We cannot afford to use empty, meaningless words any longer.