Thinking about “words” and the power they possess, how we can use our words to connect and build bridges or to divide and put up walls. Our words can inspire and uplift or deflate and demean. Unfortunate but true, words of disapproval and dismissal spoken with a disgruntled tone can leave a gaping wound in a child’s heart that lasts into adulthood. But fortunately, words of unconditional love, forgiveness and acceptance can heal deep emotional wounds and help to repair a damaged sense of self.
In response to being bullied, words can be used to take a stand, to say “enough”, whereas, a loss of words in the face of bad behavior can be interpreted as complicit.
As history showed us, an entire nation of people who allowed their collective ego to be stroked by one man’s incendiary words, didn’t fight back with their own voice of protest for human decency but instead stood in silence as their neighbors were herded away like cattle to their deaths. Silent. Complicit.
It’s amazing to think that on average, we speak about 16,000 words a day; which most likely means that a large percentage of our words are spoken without much forethought. Although, most of us were raised by parents who taught us to “think before we speak”, to do so requires self-control, balance and self-awareness and of course, a level of maturity. Unfortunately, when we lack those qualities, words impulsively reflect our chaotic mind or erratic emotions and possibly become tools which tear down our fellow man rather than edify and uplift.
The challenge is now before us. The contrast between words spoken to edify and words spoken to debase, demean and destroy has never been so stark and ever present. It seems the more coarse, crass and crude the daily discourse becomes – the more there is a gravitational pull towards standing up for kindness, human decency and integrity.
Where we go from here is going to be up to each one of us. Each of us must take responsibility for our own words, realizing they are both powerful and meaningful.
So I am looking at myself in the mirror and making a decision. I want to use my words to encourage, enlighten, express love, empathy and unity. Never have I felt so compelled to step away from the crowd, to refuse to sheepishly follow an ideology, brand or tribal group think. Never have I felt so strong to use my words to take a stand for what I value. And while I understand I must be brave in the presence of bullying bluster, for me, silence in order to keep the peace, is no longer an option. With the courage of my convictions, I want to embolden my “words” and refuse to be complicit.
May we all come together and draw strength from one another to be fearless, bold, courageous and most of all . . . kind.
This article was written by a guest blogger. The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not reflect the opinions of Bob Lacey, Sheri Lynch or the Bob & Sheri show.
The Zen Den
Hello and welcome to The Zen Den. My name is Alison and while I am passionate about many things, my most inspiring driving force is human connection. Blogger, content writer, orthopedic exercise specialist, motivational speaker, international yoga pro, published songwriter, avid poker player, mom and wife are just a few of my titles. But when I do my job at NASA, I am known simply as “The Fairy Zenmother” a role I deeply love because people invite me into their space to help them find their center, relax and stretch their muscles and destress their mind. Here in the blogosphere version of The Zen Den, I invite you into my world where I will explore ideas for creating a better tomorrow and a kinder today. And hopefully, with insight, authenticity and humor; my words, observations and experiences will help you feel calm, centered, intellectually challenged and spiritually enlightened. Alternatively, if you have something you would like to see covered in The Zen Den, just let me know. Your feedback is welcome and valuable to the success of this blog. Finally, my heart is filled with gratitude to have this opportunity to share with all of you.
