The Power of Four Letter Words
By MaryEllen Tribby
Recently my friend Ryan Lee wrote a wonderful essay on the words we choose and the connotation they hold. And as a parent, it was extremely synergistic with my philosophy on child rearing. And as a human being, it is something I implement in my business and everyday life.
Ryan's words poignantly reminded me of my childhood. You see growing up my dad had a saying that went like this “If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all”. I have repeated these same words to my kids many times, as they never had the opportunity to meet my dad. But I like to think that through his teachings that I have handed down to my children connect them to my dad on a daily basis.
It also made me think about the fact that we tend to lock away certain words. We put them in an imaginary vault and rarely use them. And these jettison-unspoken words are ones that should be shared on a regular basis. Words that if used more often could change our businesses, our relationships and our overall happiness.
This epiphany was so strong; I needed to make a list. By the time I was done, I knew I needed to share that list with you.
So here are the ten words that go unspoken far to often. But if incorporated regularly starting today could change your life for the better:
The Ten Most Powerful Four Letter Words
Love: When was the last time you told your kids, spouse and customers (yes, I said customers) you love them. I know you feel it, so say it. And according to experts, people who express their love are healthier and live longer!
Hope: By talking about hope you are actually verbalizing what you want. Verbalizing is the first step. The second step is actually doing, hence making your dreams come true.
Good: There is good in all people. And this is something we should focus on more. Tell your kids that they did a good job. Tell your clients that are doing good work. The more you use this word, the more good will come into your life.
Feel: Ask others how they feel and make sure you ask yourself how you feel about a situation. To often, we keep things bottled up. When we ask the question, we often find answers that remove roadblocks.
Kind: Telling others that they are kind is like a chain reaction. When you acknowledge and encourage kindness, it actually become the norm.
Live: If you ask a terminally ill person what they want more than anything in the world, hey will most likely tell you they want to live. We need to share with everyone that they should live their life to the fullest, and not waste time.
Joke: Ask someone if they want to hear a joke and you will see an immediate smile. As a matter of fact, when I speak in public I usually ask the audience if they want to hear a joke. Just the word joke lightens the atmosphere and creates a better learning environment.
Gift: Whenever you say the word gift, something great is bound to happen. It could be an actually physical present or it could be the gift you hold within. The more we talk about these gifts, the more we share and spread happiness.
Life: This is one of the most precious words. When we ask someone about their life, we should do so with gracious intent. We should honor this word, as it is the key to our being.
To-be: Ok, so to-be is a compound word. But nevertheless, it is so incredibly strong. We should always be bringing up, not only want we want to-do and accomplish, but want we want to-be! This helps us strive for greatness.
The Number One Worst Word
Of course we could make a list of obvious “bad” words. But in my view there is only one word that is so heinous and that is . . .
Hate: Now here's the reason this is the worst word in the world. When you actually say you hate someone or some group of people, you are actually destroying yourself.
And this word in fact encapsulates all the other bad words.
You Are What You Say
There is an old saying “You are what you eat”-which of course is true.
Well I would like your help in making “You are what you say” a new saying, a movement in fact.
You see the more you say the ten most powerful four letter words, the more you will live them! Soon you will see this affect every aspect of your life. You will notice a difference with your children. And how they communicate with others.
You will notice a difference with your colleagues, business associates and customers. They will flock to you instead of fleeing.
You will notice a difference with your significant other and close friends and family members. The time you spend with each other will be exponentially more enjoyable.
But mostly, you notice a difference within!
And by eliminating the “bad” word, the freer you will literally become!
******************************************************************
You can subscribe to Mary Ellen's emails and check out her Facebook page here
BANABU
Fran Watson
|