Words

Words have the power to: teach, direct, heal, instruct, enlighten and inspire. They also have the ability to: dispirit, damage, mislead, bore and fatigue. Many words spilling from a loose mouth achieve little; a few words emerging from attentiveness can positively change perspectives, situations and worlds in a moment. It seems for most, listening is more the challenge than speaking—I know for me—this is true. To sit quietly with a friend; listen to a child; engage with a prospective customer or to help an employee—to attend to their thoughts and feelings and to access their world through meaningful questions and active listening; to interact without judgement nor prejudice and provide timely words only when and if necessary—leaves a person feeling heard, validated and empowered. Just as a writer winnows their written words prior to publication, so too, a person can cull the spoken words prior to them exiting the mouth.