“In the English language, there are over 400 words that describe different kinds of emotion. Many of them may be synonyms for one another, but it just goes to show how important feelings are to people.” (Source}
Which emotional words do you frequently use? How do these words affect you? Is it time to change the emotional worlds you use?
It’s easy to rail against injustice and unfairness. It’s more difficult to take a stand and work to do something about it. When we take a stand and commit ourselves to making a difference, we’re known by our actions more than our words. When our actions focus on improving the condition are words criticize we walk with integrity.
What if I chose not to respond to a disrespectful remark? That’s a tough one, for sure. Yet if I choose to respond I am throwing more wood on the fire. I don’t think anyone needs to stand still for disrespectful remarks. There is a simple way to do deal with it. Say nothing, turn, and walk away. Let the angry person swirl around in his/her personal pot of angry stew. When the situation calms down, it is important engage with the person who made the disrespectful remark.and say something like, “I felt disrespected yesterday. If there is a problem, I’d like to hear it in respectful words and discuss it civily.” Nothing more is needed. You’ll find out quickly if reconciliation is possible or if it is time to move on.
When our speech uplifts, inspires, and touches hearts, the speaker makes a difference in the lives of all who receive his/her words. The ripples of his/her words spread well beyond those who are listening to him/her.
This afternoon I drove by an elementary school. There was a teacher giving a lesson to a group of students outside the school. I wondered how many students were listening. If I were in the class I’d be thinking there’s only a hour left until I’m free (LOL). I also wondered how much of what teachers say stays with us. I recalled my elementary school teachers and the only words I remembered were spoken to me nearly every day by my third grade teacher, Miss Thompson. She said, “Ray, one day you’ll be governor.” Well, she wasn’t a prophet, I never became governor. Her words left a deep impact on me. I worked harder in her class than any other class I attended in grade school.
How often do we ask ourselves ‘what’s right’ in this situation? When we ask ourselves ‘what’s right’ in a situation we ask ourselves to make a judgement based on our value system. If we don’t have a value system, we have no gauge to determine what is right is a situation. We make judgements based on feelings with no substance to support our feelings. Having value-based support for what is right is important in times when our values system does not conform with popular opinion. When we do what is right based on our value system we can live with ourselves. We have integrity. What we decide to do may not be popular but it defines us and our values.
Our ears are a wonderful gift. We hear the sounds of our world through our ears. We hear birds singing. We hear the wind blowing through the trees. We hear waves crashing on the seashore. We hear someone tell us us, ‘I love you.’ We hear the roar of a crowd when our team wins. We hear the stories of an aging parent. We hear the last words of a loved one dying. Our ears are a special gift.
We all use words to express our feelings, and communicate. Our words have incredible power to heal, love, hurt, and destroy. How we use our words can erase despair.. Our words can express our love. Our words can convey our belief in another to accomplish a tough task. Our words can build or break another. If you’re like me you’ve experienced words that heal and words that hurt. The pain from the hurting words leaves a scar that is always visible. How do you use your words? Do you use your words to heal, build, inspire or harm and hurt.?
I live in drought stricken Texas. We need rain. It will come. When it comes to Texas, it will come Texas style. We’ll get nearly a year’s average rainfall in a day or two. When the soaking rain comes, I’ll go out and dance in it. I’ll let it soak me through to the skin. Rain provides me with the metaphoric feeling of being cleansed of all the things weighing on my mind.
What is your positive core? That is, what are the things that you do especially well? When we define our positive core, it opens up all kinds of new directions for us. We can now focus attention on what we do well. It’s difficult to completely identify our positive core by ourselves. We need to sit down with someone who knows us. Go to a coffee shop and brainstorm your positive core. Between the two of you, you will generate a well-defined list. You’ll be ready to take off on an exciting adventure.
