# War Of Words

Source: https://zenchick.com/war-of-words/
Published: 2012-04-10
Author: Gay Barefield

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***Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.***\
 ***[Maya Angelou](http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/mayaangelo140532.html)***

I have been bombarded by **words** lately; beautiful ones, grammatically correct ones, encouraging ones, ugly ones and difficult ones. All of them affect me in different ways, ranging from loving the words to disagreeing with the words to embracing the words. Some of these words are mine, some are not but all have an impact on my life and the lives of others.

**When we choose the words we want to say, do we think about the impact?**

Since I have been writing more and now taking a writing class, the impact of my words has commanded more of my focus. I have always lived my life choosing words carefully, understanding that they can be used as weapons against another person. I am also very human and am guilty of carelessly tossing my words around so that they end up hurting someone else. But I would like to think that overall I have offered *more* encouraging and appreciative words than any hurtful words I spoken.

I want the words I write here, in this blog, to impact your life in a good and beautiful way, causing a pause for thought or a “light bulb” moment when the pieces come together. I have seen too many words of late hurt and tear down another’s life and because of this I’m more focused on delivering my words carefully, especially here on this written page, seen by all who care about reading my words.

What about your words? Do you carelessly toss them around or make sure they land gently on another’s heart? It’s so important that we all understand how much we impact other peoples lives by our words, both spoken and unspoken.

Every day we need to make a conscious effort to use more **positive** than negative words. When is the last time you thanked the grocery store cashier, the drive-thru clerk or the bank teller? Remember that each of us wants to know we are appreciated and  “thank you” can go a long way in someone’s life.

There are always going to be difficult situations when you will use angry or hurtful words but try to be careful with these words too, knowing that they can’t be taken back. Sometimes walking away or pausing in the conversation will give you time to carefully choose the right words instead of the more hurtful ones.

**Most of all be very careful with the words you say to yourself every day**. We truly don’t think about these words much but they can be the most damaging to our spirits and our hearts. Ask yourself if you would say the same words to another person and chances are your answer will be a resounding “*NO*”. So why treat yourself any different? Positive words will change your perception of yourself and others if you just choose to use them more often.

I’m so blessed to have all of you that enjoy reading my words and I would love to read yours too. Share your words with me and the other readers by commenting on this post. I hope that there are a lot more **beautiful words** in your future.

 

 

 

 

photo credit: [Darwin Bell](http://www.flickr.com/photos/darwinbell/395970515/) via [photopin](http://photopin.com) [cc](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/)