The Power of Words

A dear friend, Marcia Nellans, sent me this little two minute clip filmed in Glasgow called The Power of Words. I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Spend a moment and tell me the thoughts it provokes for you.

I used to sit in meetings and agonize, argue, discuss, and debate over the choice of words. I hated when this occurred, wondering why we just couldn’t get on with it and get some “real” work done.

While I still may have some angst, I have come to respect the power of a word and how both the choice of words and the imagery they elicit can make a real difference. For words are the symbols of our inner and outer life. They tell stories. They provoke emotion. They prompt action. And action begets results. This little quote sums it up quite nicely:

Watch your thoughts, for they become your words.

Watch your words, for they become your deeds.

Watch your deeds, for they become your habits.

Watch your habits for they become your destiny.

So literally, change either your thoughts or your words, and you can change your life. I believe that is the case.

Here are some of the questions the clip above provoked for me:

• Why were the words she wrote so much more powerful?
• What prompts us to take action to help someone else?
• What are we “blind” to daily that might change what we do if we had our eyes “opened”?
• Were people giving out of a sense of gratitude or guilt? Does it matter?
• What small actions might we take that can make a difference for someone else?
• What words move us from a victim mindset to a more accountable one?
• What gifts, other than money, do we have that if shared, prompt a cascade of goodness?

I’m curious – what questions did it bring to your mind?