Words, Words, Everywhere!!!

      One of the first things we think about when we talk about communicating is words! After all, we use our words TO communicate, right? And words can do so much good, but also so much, not so good! There are good words that uplift, build, strengthen, and bless. And there are the not so good words that bring down, destroy, weaken, and condemn.  So we need to be careful of the words we say so that we can help others and not destroy them!! (And this applies to what words we use on ourselves as well!) It has been proven scientifically that what you say to and about others can have a huge influence on them. For example, if you label your children with a word: lazy, sloppy, dumb, smart, organized, ambitious they will pick up it and become exactly that!!!So be very careful of the words you use about and to others (and yourself)!

     But it is not just the words themselves that can have an affect on lives; how they are spoken can make a huge difference as well. And I believe, if you really think about it, we have all said things in ways that could have been misinterpreted because of how we said it. Speaking a positive word in a loud angry voice can totally confuse the listener(s) as do bad words spoken in a quiet more controlled voice! The tone of our voice when we speak can portray so very much, no matter what words are said. One of the biggest conradictions in this area, I think, is "I'm sorry"! So many times it can be heard as a quick, almost angry spitting out of the words! And, thus, they truly mean nothing because if one is truly sorry, the feelings are sorry as well and the tone of how it is said backs it up. 

     Another thing about our word communication is timing. When emotions are running high it is not usually a good time to have a heart to heart talk because it tends to get out of control and things are said  that cause more damage than if we had waited until we had time to think it through. And it is also important to assure someone that you DO want to communicate about that partiuclar issue, but you need to have time to think about itl If you don't explain that and just walk out, the other person(s) will assume the worst and things will escalate.

     Another part of timing of communicating with words is using them in the right order! I was reading a book by Dr. Brent A. Barlow that explained this perfectly in a rather humorous way, but it DOES get the point across. He was talking about magic words we ought to say more often, specifically in marriage. "These words are "Please forgive me," "I love you," and "I'm sorry." One wife called me up the next night and said the magic words didn't work. "Exactly what didi you say?" I asked. She said she walked up to her husband, took a deep breath, and blurted out, "I'm sorry I love you, please forgive me." I told her she had the content but the timing was off." Can you see the point in this timing?!

     So, yes, there are "words, words everywhere" and they can make a huge difference in our lives by  when, how, why, where and to whom,we use them, including  ourselves!!! And I believe this is something we can all work on in improving our lives, which in turn will improve the lives of others as well!!