We constantly speak or write, and many words come out from our mouth in one day. Some of them just fade away or are simply forgotten, but some of them keep resonating in someone else’s mind for hours, days, months and even years. The truth is the scope of our words can be higher than we think.
The words we speak can be more powerful than we imagine, depending on what we say, they can be a wonderful tool or a lethal weapon. Even one word can create a huge impact in the life of other people. The problem is that sometimes we underestimate their power, and we do not measure the scope of our words. Therefore, we must be careful with the ones we choose, especially with those harmful words that can act as a deadly weapon for someone and hurt them forever.
We speak or write, and we use different words in order to communicate something to another, and according to what we say, they can sometimes encourage, inspire, help, teach, heal and help others, and at the same time they can destroy, hurt, damage, or kill other people. The words we speak can lift someone else up or they can put someone else down. They can do good, or they can do evil, and it is in our hands which one to choose.
“Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.” – Buddha
If we could imagine what our words can cause in someone else’s life, we would probably choose them better. The problem is that sometimes when we speak, we do not think, especially when our emotions speak for us, and the problem is not when those emotions are good, but when they are not, because it is in that moment when we can cause a huge pain.
Have you ever been angry and told someone something you regretted? Probably yes. The problem was that our emotions, that is to say, our anger spoke for us, and most of the cases we didn’t even want to say what we just said but the damage was done. The same happens in the opposite way when someone says something to us and those words create a huge pain in our hearts. Some of those words are forgiven, some of them are forgotten, and some of them are stored deep inside a person’s heart.
“Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.” – Napoleon Hill
The good thing about words is that they can influence someone, and make someone believe those words are real, changing its life completely. The bad thing is when those words are used for evil, and they make other people do evil, or to follow the wrong path, or make someone believe that those harmful words about himself are real. For example, many times in my past, people said different words to me that really made a hole in my heart: You’re ugly, you’re good for nothing, you’re not smart, you will fail, you can’t do that, you are this and that, and I believed them.
The problem is that sometimes those words are spoken by people you really care, and they can be really painful because it is easy to avoid listening to those you don’t care but it’s hard to not listen to those you love. For that reason, we should always be careful with the words we choose in our daily lives, in our relationships, with our friends and colleagues, with our parents and children and with every single person we surround ourselves with.
“Be careful what you say. You can say something hurtful in ten seconds, but ten years later, the wounds are still there.” – Joel Osteen
Why would you say someone that he or she is ugly, stupid, or a loser, if you really don’t want them to believe that they are so? Maybe, because you think they won’t believe that? And what if they do? What if that person believes in what you said and act upon it? What if you really hurt someone with the power of your lethal words? Because that is what you can cause, and you may not know that, but you could break someone’s heart with just one word.
We could create the same effect but in the opposite way, and use them to lift a person up, make them love themselves, bring them peace, make them believe that they are awesome and unique, make them feel good about themselves so they can know how amazing and beautiful they are, we can change their perspective and make them know that they deserve all the good in the world so they can know that everything is possible, that they can do it, that they can be successful.
“Kind words do not cost much. They never blister the tongue or lips. They make other people good-natured. They also produce their own image on men’s souls, and a beautiful image it is.” – Blaise Pascal
The truth is, what other people say about you is their opinion and not yours, what they say is their vision of the world, or maybe is their own broken heart speaking, or their anger, or maybe is just what they feel, and we cannot avoid it. We can either choose to let their words destroy us, or use it as strength to keep getting better and keep moving forward. But in case we meet someone that cannot do that, why don’t we avoid hurting others, and choose to not hurt them with our words? Or at least, why don’t we say what we have to say in a more peaceful way?
Therefore, why don’t use our words as a tool rather than a weapon, and use it to inspire, help, heal and encourage people speaking words of love, and change our lives and the lives of others!
