Words are powerful, they can construct or destruct. They have the power to hurt or heal. We must discipline ourselves to speak in a way that builds instead of destroy. Through words, one’s maturity can be determined. Even when we are airing out our differences, we can still do so in a respectful and polite manner. Always speak from a place of love. As Mother Teresa said, “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”
Before you speak, listen to your own words and consider the impact they will have on the listener. Be mindful of the words that you speak, for you are judged and evaluated by the words that come out of your mouth. Because our words are an affirmation of our thoughts.
Speak consciously. Not every thought or feeling within you should be voiced out. Keep words that insult, belittle, and provoke others within yourself. Words can destroy relationships, they can end a career. As Pearl Strachan Hurd said, “Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs.”
You may say something and take it lightly without realizing that it has caused an eternal wound on someone. As Jessamyn West said, “A broken bone can heal, but the wound a word opens can fester forever.” Be mindful when it comes to your words. A string of some that don’t mean much to you may stick with someone else for a lifetime. Taste your words before you spit them out.
The effect of words
Words can change the world, words matter!
The negative effects
We have all felt it. The sting that comes with words. When somebody tells you they don’t love you or that you will never yield to anything. Worse still that you are a loser. When somebody told you that you were stupid and dump. These are just examples to remind you how brutal words can be. When your wife/girlfriend told you that you were not man enough. We all have felt it, the impact that ill-spoken words have on us.
If you know your words can offend, bite your tongue. People have been soothed and comforted by words. Counselling, advice, and caution are given through words. Words have the power to mend and heal. If we know how words sting then let’s not return hurtful words with more hurtful words. If we can’t be polite then let’s be silent.
There is no better way to know a person than to listen to how he or she speaks, to know their thoughts. As they say, everybody is respected until they open their mouth. Words demonstrate how organized and ordered somebody’s thoughts are.
We underestimate the power of our words. How often do we tear people down, even those we’re closest to, and justify it as being “funny?” Maybe if we add a quick “just kidding” after a degrading commend, it’ll amend what we’ve just said. But that’s not how it works. Damaging words can be some of our deepest scars and they don’t fade as fast as we tell ourselves they do. Words, whether hurtful or encouraging, stay with us long after they’ve been spoken.
I know I’ve said things in the past that I instantly wish I could take back or erase. And I remember things said to me that still sting a little bit. The power of what we speak is greater than what we credit. And this matters.
The positive effects
1. Be the voice of the voiceless. When there is a need to speak and nobody has the guts, may you be the person that will be brave enough to say something. Your words can create a revolution, your words can be a voice for the voiceless. If we use them properly, our words will change the world and cannot be easily forgotten. We have the power to dictate which legacy our words leave behind. Take for example the words of Mother Teresa or Mahatma Gandhi, they left a legacy.
2. Words influence people. Be careful about what you say. There are people who actually consider you to be a credible source of information and if you are not careful of the words you speak, you will mislead all those people. Once they hear something from you, they do not consult with other sources to get clarity but take your word for religion. Your words have the power to influence, use them to create a positive influence in the world.
3. Use your words to restore. Words have power. They can be used to restore relationships or break them; unite people or divide; affirm others or demoralize them; crumble down barriers or keep them standing tall. Use your words as a restoration tool. Let your words remind people how valuable they are.
Put a watch over your mouth
We need to be careful of the words we speak to our spouses, children, loved ones,, and even strangers. We can do this by
Minding what we say
Let’s speak words that bring life and peace and can transform the world.
Minding how we say it
How we say something is as important as what we say. The way you speak to people matters. You can have a very beautiful thing to say, but say it in the wrong words and it’s gone.”
“Words have power. How are you exercising your power?
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