Words are quite possibly the most powerful tool a person has to portray themselves, to defend themselves, to manifest their life. Have you every noticed that a person who complains always has a lot to complain about? Alternately People who use most of their 20,000 words we speak each day to acknowledge happiness and gratitude always have a lot to be happy and grateful for.
I know I just said 20,000 words, clearly a statistic from a female subject. Men only use about 13,000 but even that minuscule use of words has great power to bring good or bad into our lives.
Words are my favourite parenting tool. A well placed super word can stop even the smartest mouth or argument. I remember the first time I told Lula to stop being Obstinate. We were having the battle of the bedroom and I threw it out there.
"Stop being so obstinate." I said.
She stopped cold. "What's Obstinate?"
"Obstinate is being difficult on purpose for no other reason than to make life miserable for someone else." I answered.
"Wow that's a good word." she said.
"Yes" I said it's a fabulous word, now go clean your room." One word changed the conversation and the air and she remembered that my name is 'mom' not 'moron'.
Lula marched upstairs to get started. On her way past KJ's room she poked her head in ... "Mom says you are obstinate."
That word never worked again.
Words have power. I love that one well strung sentence can evoke more emotion then an entire novel. Perhaps this explains my love of quotes.
Today I am grateful for words and what a well placed word can bring into a life.
My favourite gratitude quote for this week...
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." John Kennedy
