How Our Words Can Make a Difference

“Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.” –Buddha

Do you realize how much power you possess every time you open your mouth?  Or what about when you post something on Facebook or send out that email?  Every communication we have with others carries with it the ability to bring a smile to someone’s face and potentially lift one’s spirit.  Or, we simultaneously have the power to create fear, doubt, or even worse.   While we usually can’t turn another person’s life around without their cooperation, we can, with the simple words we say or write, instantly shift the energy in a person or in a room.   Let’s start remembering that the words we share with others are like a wand bestowing blessings or curses.

Okay I’ll admit it.  I spend a lot of time on Facebook.  As a writer, I work at home and am alone much of the day.  While solitude is an important part of my ability to be productive, I sometimes feel isolated from others.  Not so with Facebook.  Facebook allows me to take a “water-cooler” break just like all of you who work for a company and can take a minute catching up with others any time you pause for refreshment.  As long as I monitor my time on Facebook, it usually provides me with a nice break from my work without distracting me from what needs to be done.

But one thing I’ve noticed about Facebook is that not everyone realizes the power they have with every single post they make.  In the last couple of years that I have regularly visiting Facebook, I have seen the good, the bad and the downright ugly.   You see it all.  Some people post cute things about their lives and their families in an upbeat and friendly way.   Others people make it all about work and daily try to get you to buy or use their services.  Some people and/or companies are doing good work in one field or another and post updates or news.  Then there are those who seem to spout just about anything on their mind—unfortunately what is on their mind is anything but uplifting.  While most posts are at least civil and reasonably polite, others routinely use degrading and negative language on a consistent basis.

Continue reading this post on Kathy Gottberg’s blog, Smart Living 365