It was his (Merlin’s) voice that fascinated me.
Infinitely expressive, it served him in any manner he wished. When he lashed,
it could raise welts on a stone. When he soothed, it could have shamed
nightingales into silence. And when he commanded, mountains and valleys
exchanged places. -- Stephen R. Lawhead, Arthur
Words matter What
you say, how you say it, when you say it, and where always matters. Every time
you speak, each time you choose to remain silent (and silence is
communicating), you are creating realities, altering mindsets and attitudes,
and propelling yourself and others toward specific outcomes.
Words change things The
words you choose to describe and define your present circumstances are moving
those circumstances in a certain direction. Are your words creating more and
more possibilities or are they restricting your ability to change and enhance
your circumstances?
Words change you Listen
to your inner unspoken dialogue with yourself. Are you reminding yourself of
who you intend to become, or is your self-talk creating an individual
altogether different from whom you wish to become? Are you thinking
word-thoughts of faith, hope, and love toward others, or word-thoughts of
disbelief, cynicism and hatred? Think of this inner dialogue as an incantation
by which you are casting a spell over your soul. Will it help create the self
you intend to become, or is it twisting you into someone else?
Words change them You
can choose to speak justly and truly, or shade and shape your words to serve
only your own hidden agenda. You can offer words of wisdom and hope, or you can
speak words that debilitate and denigrate. Ultimately, your words flow from
your beliefs about yourself and others. Do you believe the best or the worst?
As you are choosing your words, remember this: they are creating your legend
and your legacy.
Words evoke The
words you choose to speak evoke feelings and ideas in your listeners. What do
you intend for them to feel? In other words, what psychological states
are conducive to your achieving your outcomes? What word choices will serve you
here? What words will help evoke the ideas that will serve both you and your
audience’s goals for this particular engagement?
Words provoke You
can speak words that provoke your audience to love and good deeds, or you can
choose words that provoke them to frustration and feelings of hopelessness. Of
course, you can also choose words that put them to sleep, but I do not
recommend this as a useful tact for guiding your audience toward your intended
outcomes!
Words have a melody Listen
to the conversations taking place around you today. Each person’s words have a
peculiar melody. Some “melodies” are monotone, others utilize a few notes, and
others create melodies and harmonies that intrigue, fascinate and please their
listeners. What melody accompanies your words, and is it supporting the
intention of your communication?
Words expose and reveal Your words expose and reveal your heart and mind. Sooner or later, your
words will be congruent with what you truly feel and think. Are your words
congruent with your professed vision and Code, or do they reveal incongruence? If your words reveal an incongruity,
you have two choices: change your vision and Code, or change your heart and
mind.
Words are the stuff dreams are made of Your words and dreams have a symbiotic relationship: they feed off of
each other. Are your words filling your dreams with more content and clarity,
infusing them with increased power, or do your words weaken your faith and
hope? Do you speak as a dream-weaver or do your words elicit nightmares? Do
your words move your world closer to the dream of truth and goodness, liberty and justice, love and compassion … or do they move us in the opposite
direction?
Copyright, Monte E Wilson, 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment