BLOG POST-28 Words have Power

 

                                        Words have power

The same message, different words—one sparked rebellion, the other changed behavior forever. Explore how our choice of words reflects our values and holds the power to inspire or destroy.

 

The words we choose in our lives have the power to affect people and the world around us. They can make or break a person. Our words and even the tone reflect our beliefs, principles, prejudices and morals-sometimes in ways we may not even intend. They shape how others perceive us and the issues we speak or write about.  Words when said or articulated in the right way, can change someone’s mind. They have the power to alter someone’s beliefs.

You have the power to push and encourage someone who has lost all hope to do well, make a successful person out of them or to destroy someone’s happiness using only your words. A simple choice of a word can make the difference between someone welcoming your message or being hostile to it.

You might have a beautiful thing to say but if you express it using wrong vocabulary, nobody seems to take it well. The meaning is lost, and the message loses its impact.

I was once listening to a public speaker, Mohammad Qahtani. He gave a very apt example to showcase the power of words.

He spoke about a 5-year-old boy who had a bad habit of writing on the walls with crayons. One evening, his father walked into his room while the boy was busy writing and drawing on the wall. The father, in a stern voice, said, “Hey, boy! Are you stupid?” and almost threatened him by saying, “Don’t you ever do that again.”

                                           

Guess what happened? The boy did it again. Nobody likes to be threatened. Nobody likes to be intimidated. His pride came in the way.

He did it again to upset his father.

A few days later, the father again came to the child’s room. This time too, the boy was scribbling on the wall- this time even more forcefully, looking into his father’s eyes as if teasing him. But this time, the father handled the situation differently.

He bent down and in the most loving manner, said, “My sweetheart, come here. You are a big boy now. Don’t do this.”

 And the boy never did it again. This happened because this time his pride wanted him to be the “big boy”.

So, you see, words do have power.

If you are a person who is seen as a role model, anything you do is admired, anything you say is believed, anything you utter can be taken as truth.

In Mohammad Qahtani’s words-

“Words have power,

Words could be your power,

You can change a life, inspire a nation and make this world a beautiful place.”

 

Your words can be like venom or they can mend a broken soul.

So choose wisely because once spoken, words cannot be taken back-only felt, remembered and lived.

 

What's one sentence someone said to you that changed everything—for better or worse? How did those words shape who you became?