It’s All in the Word

By fromskilledhands ( March 24, 2008 at 3:39 pm) · Filed under Change, Musings, Words

I’ve been thinking about the power of words and how our choices shape our lives. Do I see things as a challenge or a struggle? An opportunity or a chore? A promise or a threat? Writers choose their words just as a connoisseur of fine wine selects the correct vintage. Do the words we choose shape how we see the world or does how we see the world determine the words we choose?

Reframing makes a difference, I think. I can choose to smell the promise of rain, or I can see rain threatening. I can experience my child as nosy, or I can see her as curious. Life can present me with struggles or challenges. Important choices, I think.
Ghandi wrote, ” You must be the change you want to see in the world.” And it starts just like that.

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9 comments »

  1. Cathy said,

    March 25, 2008 @ 9:02 am

    I’m so with you. When I first began to watch how I framed things I was surprised to see how negative it could be. And I’d thought I was a positive person! Then, when I started consciously to speak and see things in a positive way life became so much more easeful, peaceful, bountiful. Truly.

  2. Mary Witzl said,

    March 25, 2008 @ 12:01 pm

    You are right, Debra: we make things a lot more negative than we should.

    I’ve always loved rain, though, so ‘threatening rain’ used to fill me with a sense of joy and drama. To this day, I can’t see that as a negative phrase.

  3. Larramie said,

    March 25, 2008 @ 1:11 pm

    It most certainly does, Debra, because thoughts are things.

  4. Amy said,

    March 27, 2008 @ 2:01 pm

    I have always, and imagine I will always, believed that words are incredibly powerful and should be used with care.

  5. shelbi said,

    March 30, 2008 @ 1:54 am

    debra,
    so true..i too have been on the same path…thoughts and attitude are so powerful, and truly dictate how we respond to circumstances. i am working on being a more positive role model for my children and loved ones :)

    thank you for you visit to my blog, i have found you and i am loving your blog…i will be back to visit again :)

    hugs
    shelbi

  6. Eryl Shields said,

    March 30, 2008 @ 11:32 am

    This is why I spend so much time with my thesaurus and dictionary: if you’re going to bother to use words at all you might as well use the most effective ones for your purpose. And I’ve recently discovered that the sound of a word is just as important as the denotation and connotation.

  7. fromskilledhands said,

    March 30, 2008 @ 6:07 pm

    I agree, Cathy. It’s about being attentive to my life—words included.

    I love rain, too, Mary—-most of the time.
    So for you, the threat of rain was really a promise, yes?

    You are so right, Larramie—thoughts ARE things.

    Words ARE powerful, aren’t they, Amy. That’s why they can move us to action (and tears).

    Thanks for commenting, Shelbi. When my children were younger, and they’d be having a spat, we’d use the dictionary: if you are going to use THAT word, at least use it correctly, I’d say.

    I love the sounds of words, too, Eryl. I’ve always loved to read the dictionary and use the thesaurus to make the best choice.

  8. Moanna said,

    March 31, 2008 @ 11:19 am

    Great posting. I have a strong belief that we can language ourselves into or out of a bad mood. And for some, a bad mood lasts a lifetime. Fortunately, it’s mostly all up to the individual.

  9. fromskilledhands said,

    April 3, 2008 @ 9:10 am

    I agree, Moana, that we can, as you say, “language ourselves into or out of a bad mood.” I have experienced that many times!

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