The incredible power of words

December 29, 10:34 PMRelationship ExaminerKristen Houghton

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As the year of 2009 approaches it is good for us to think of how we use words in everyday conversation. How do our words impact a relationship?

The ancients believed that the spoken word contained the power and authority of the Gods. In later centuries, any person who could actually write words was elevated almost to the level of the divine.

Words dictated how life should be lived, what you could or couldn’t do; they could be used for good or for harm. There were spells, there were prayers. The power of words was awesome.

Words, spoken or written, still hold power today. They can inspire us to achieve goals or they can hold us back from even trying. One simple sentence can make a difference in how a situation is perceived.

   “When you say you can’t, it means that you won’t.”

That statement is profound in its simplicity. The meaning is clear; if you think you can’t, chances are good that you won’t. The power of words is psychological.

Intentionally negative words can lower self-esteem, kill the joy of enthusiasm and change your attitude about life. Well chosen positive words, even just  one word, motivate and encourage dreams and can bring about life changes. What an amazing power!

But words are sometimes used as sharp, barbed weapons. A child who is told he or she is “bad” believes it and may live up to that statement. The power of cruel words can damage relationships as well.

Words used to uplift, to motivate, to comfort have a meaning well beyond simple letters strung together. They are powerful in how they make a person feel. Their emotional impact can define a life or change an outlook. Words make human errors forgivable.

Dr. Maya Angelou used words to tell us why we should forgive any mistakes we made in our past. It is hauntingly beautiful.

  “You did then what you knew how to do. When you knew better, you did better."

The words free you to forgive yourself and understand that you are not the same person you were. Words are empowering.

Writers use words to entertain, to make us think, and to inspire. Like a beautiful mosaic, words fill in the corners and crevices of our lives making us laugh, cry and ponder.

Do we place too much “power” on words, spoken or written? Perhaps actions are more suited to our modern lives. I cannot believe this is true, for while we surely need acts of kindness, acts of love, we need words too.

Words convey more than actions because they unite us. Words bring us together in a way no action can. This can be seen in the eyes of someone learning to read. A door to a new world has been opened before them and words are the key that has unlocked it.

The power of words is magical, spiritual, incredible. Nothing is more powerful than words.  Use them well in 2009.

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© 2008 all rights reserved Kristen Houghton 

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