You have the choice of whether your words inspire and build or dishearten and destroy.
Words are powerful. Your words matter.
The words you choose can be creative and help inspire and build great things – or they can be unproductive and dishearten and destroy.
People have changed the world with words. However, even with the best of intentions, words can have the opposite of their intended effect.
As far as I can tell, Jesus told people to love one another, be kind, respectful, and do good.
Two-thousand-plus years later, many people neglect this message and use the religion they founded upon him to be intolerant, unkind, and disrespectful. For example – intolerance of LGBTQA+ or interracial marriages explained away with “it’s against my religion.”
Doesn’t that negate why the words you choose matter, you may wonder? Not at all. Just because you are working to inspire – and someone else takes that for granted – doesn’t mean you should be careless with your words.
Read most of Trump’s tweets for examples of disheartening words. All he does is divide, defame, destroy – when a person in his position should unite, commend, and construct better for all. He knows full well that his words tear us apart – because he expands on the artifice of “us” versus “them.
You have a choice whenever you write, speak, text, tweet, and so on. Every time you use words in any form you use them, you get to decide if your words inspire or dishearten.
Mindfulness and words
Recognizing the power of your words is a matter of mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the practice of being aware, in the here-and-now, of your thoughts, feelings, and actions. That, in turn, puts you more in touch with your conscious mind and your overall headspace/mindset/psyche.
People tend to live often in their subconscious minds. That means people absorb all kinds of information – without really filtering it. So you get slammed with bad news, negativity, and fear in an almost constant flow. When you don’t work to be mindful, those things impact what you are thinking and what and how you feel.
From this place, you might say/write/tweet words you wouldn’t necessarily use consciously. Hence, mindfulness is important when it comes to the words you use.
I know a couple of people who recently got into trouble for the words they chose. While one choice was more volatile than the other, both were poorly made.
That, in turn, led to more words from more people – some of which were hurtful and unkind. Yes, there was anger and discontent – but responding with such isn’t going to have the desired effect.
That’s why it is important to be mindful of your words. Words inspire or dishearten depending on how you use them. If you are seeking to explain a point of view you will more likely get your point across with inspirational words over disheartening ones.
Words inspire if you want them to
Every time you speak or write words, you decide the intention behind them.
This should be a conscious act – but how often do you hear or read stories of how the wrong words sparked arguments, disagreements, misunderstandings, and even wars across history?
Minor or major, direct or indirect, the words you choose can inspire people to think, dream, and/or hope. Or – they can discourage that. Your words can be builders of a better today or destroyers to break it all apart.
Like just about everything else in life, you have a choice. Decide to work positive or negative. It is up to you.
Not everyone is an amazing wordsmith. I like to think that I am pretty good, but by no means am I “the best” or such. However, I strive to keep my notions and ideas inspiring rather than disheartening.
I blog about exploring mindfulness, conscious reality creation, and positivity. When I write about these things, the goal is to inspire the reader to ALSO explore and grow with these ideas.
When I write fiction, for the most part, the work is intended to inspire. How? By opening imagination and inspiring the reader’s creativity.
In fiction, to be fair, some things are going to be disheartening. But the idea is to connect you to the story and its ups and downs. Are you inspired to keep reading? That tends to be the point.
Which brings me to my next point.
Disheartening versus honest versus lies
Sometimes the truth is disheartening. That’s the nature of the beast. Reality is not always pretty and can be fraught with unexpected, unwanted, and less-than-desirable twists, turns, and complications.
For example – the pre-pandemic world is not the world you will experience anymore. That is distressing, upsetting, sad, infuriation, and a cause of numerous other emotions. Yet – knowing that this truth may be disheartening – I still share it with you.
But my intent is honesty. Putting on rose-colored glasses and taking a Pollyanna attitude has its place – but not with this. The impact of COVID-19 on the world is too great and irreversible.
These specific words are not inspiring. The reality that the world cannot change back is distressing to many. The thought that the past has passed disturbs people.
My intent is not to dishearten you with these words. It is simply an honest presentation of inescapable truth.
Which brings us to lies. Trump tells lie upon lie. One of his favorite lies at the moment is that the virus will simply “go away” miraculously – preferably juuuust in time for the election.
Perhaps – he tells this lie to inspire his followers. However, a lie is a lie. When it is proven as such it will, ultimately, be disheartening.
Hence why lies always have a cost, and liars tend not to prosper (and even if they do – they’re usually also rather miserable).
Choose your words with care
You have the choice of whether your words inspire and build or dishearten and destroy. However you use them – and whatever you say – that is how it will be.
This is a power many take lightly. But if you are an artist or creator of any sort – you probably recognize how powerful every little aspect of your work can be.
In painting, for example, every brushstroke can be impactful on the finished product. With writing, each word is a brushstroke in-and-of-itself.
Whether you are posting to social media, writing an email, blog, book, or text – or if you are having a conversation – think before you abuse words.
Inspiration or discouragement? The intent of your words could go either way. Hence why choosing them with care matters.
Do you recognize if your words inspire or dishearten people?
Thank you for taking part in my ongoing journey. Thank you for joining me, and for inspiring me and my art.
This is the sixty-seventh article exploring the creative process. Please take a moment to check out the collection of my published works, which can be found here.
Feel free to explore the rest of the website, which I am working to evolve and change for the better…much like I am doing for myself. Also, visit Awareness for Everyone to check out my weekly podcasts.
Enjoying the website and my endeavors? I’d be grateful if you would consider becoming a patron through my Patreon.
You can subscribe to my newsletter. Fill in the info and click the submit button below and receive your free eBook.
Follow me here!
You must be logged in to post a comment.