Words Have Power
“Words are things; I am convinced.”
“Someday we will be able to measure the power of words.” ~ Maya Angelou
People have always lied. They have always gossiped. However, they haven’t always had access to social media and the anonymity it provides, along with the ability for information, and misinformation, to spread faster than wildfire, literally.
Most, if not all, religious faiths and philosophies include guidelines when it comes to speech. There is a reason for this I believe. It is wise to consider our words and the impact they can have on others. It is so easy to utter something. We feel nothing as the words pass through our lips, but what happens after the words are out can ruin lives.
Don Miguel Ruiz in his book The Four Agreements, writes,
“The word is not just a sound or a written symbol. The word is a force; it is the power you have to express and communicate, to think, and thereby to create the events in your life.”
To be impeccable with our word is the first of the four agreements, the most important one and one of the most difficult writes Ruiz. I can agree on that. It is a practice to be mindful of the words I use. I am not always successful. My intention is to watch what I say, to think before I speak, but if I am not careful, I find myself reacting, and the words begin flowing.
When Maya Angelou predicted that one day we will be able to measure the power of words, I am reminded of Masaru Emoto’s book The Hidden Messages in Water. Mr. Emoto froze drops of water that had been exposed to words such as hate and love, and recorded the differences in the ways the water crystallized when frozen.
The results were shocking. Words like love and beauty created beautiful crystals, while words such as hate created distorted and ugly ones.
Mr. Emoto’s work, I believe, is the beginning of a discovery to understand the energy that follows our words. I already know that words have power, but having science prove that what we say carries either positive or negative energy helps me to take what I say even more seriously.
As I wrote in my last blog post, what I say to myself has an indirect, but powerful, impact on building a compassionate world. It may, also, have a direct impact on my body. Emoto pointed out that our bodies are 70% water, and we must consider the effect words we direct at ourselves may have on our health.
Lately, I have experienced firsthand the use of words to hurt others, and as a result, I know that I want to work on my habit of speaking words that heal, not hurt.
Following Dr. Angelou’s advice, I am going to be careful with the words I use and treat what I say as something that matters, so I can use my speech to build others up instead of tear them down.
Peace and Joy,
