With our words, we can entice another to fall in love with us, especially if those words are meaningful and true. At the same time, our words can instantly destroy a relationship. Our words are powerful. It's amazing how we can say so many good things, but in one night, one drunken stupor, our whole world can change.
Sometimes it is intentional. We want to hurt others, especially if we feel that they have hurt us. We want to use our words to do that.
Because our words are powerful—they can heal, but they can also hurt.
Perhaps we want to use our words to love others and be kind to them. Each day, we have that choice. Every word we say or write matters. People listen. They read these words, they feel them, and it causes them great suffering or great joy. We have a choice to make, but sadly, we are freer with our tongues.
We say what's on our minds and write about people we don't like on social media. And we think it doesn't matter, or they probably don't even read it. We may think we're being funny.
If you know someone who consistently uses hateful words—not someone who does it occasionally because they make a mistake, but someone that goes out of their way to hurt people—they are probably not very happy.
Words can be uplifting and helpful. Try sharing positive things with people. Go out of your way to say nice words. It's like giving flowers.
We can really make people's day better with powerful words. Telling people that we love them and we're thankful for them can improve their day and ours as well.
So, how do we start saying more kind things and less hurtful things? The best thing to do when we want to say something hurtful is to remain quiet. If we want to say something negative, we shouldn't say anything at all but instead, remove ourselves from the situation.
Yes, we do need to talk about things, particularly with important people in our lives, when there are challenges. But we shouldn't do this when we are upset, angry, or hurt, especially if we are on any substances, like alcohol.
We cannot control what others say or do to us, but we can learn to respond in loving ways.
The words that we hear about ourselves all day long are important, too. While we can say a word to hurt someone and destroy a relationship, we can say thousands of things to ourselves and remain on a path of suffering. To truly understand how powerful words are, we must acknowledge what we are saying to ourselves. What are we hearing all day long?
When we walk by the mirror, do we insult ourselves? When we forget something, do we degrade ourselves for that mistake? Words matter, but we must understand what they are. What is our internal dialogue? Are we critical of others in our thoughts, or are we more critical of ourselves?
Even if no one hears our thoughts, they are important, and they can turn into words. So, it's important to find things to say to yourself that are kind and loving. When you do something wrong, ask yourself, "What can I learn from that mistake?"
When we are kind to ourselves and to others, that is the path to happiness.
May we all realize the power of our words and use them wisely.
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