Heart First, Then Ink

Heart ❤ First, Then 🖋 Ink. Followed by? Any guesses? 

What I’m describing is a glimpse at my process. First something involving our shared journey here at Becoming Today will find its way into my heart. When it does, then I start to release it with ink. 

Yes I still use ink on paper. It helps me add to the tone, the texture, to craft emphasis of our conversations. Followed by the magic. After refining my vision for the post then almost wondrously it is transformed digitally and nearly instantaneously transmitted to you and  ore importantly for you.

This project is a labor of love, made possible in part by the power of words.

A recent study reveals that in the past year we as a collective planet have used more words than ever before. However their meaning, tone and the acceptance of them has also been marginalized like never before.  We’ll talk more about that tomorrow, but given these facts, our research, also known as an examination of what is nudging my heart, is showing that we need to review why words matter and why our choice in which words and how to use them is so important.

So how should you choose your words? “Carefully”… is how Grandma always finished that thought. And yes it still is great advice today.

Selecting your words carefully can lead you to great success, while not guarding your vocabulary can have the opposite effect; ensuring your failure. 

Quite literally choosing the proper expression can change your life or keep you in the wilderness for another 40 years. Words elicit not only an intellectual component, by whether or not you and those you are communicating with share the same definition, they also often first evoke an emotional response. Whether that’s positive or negative is up to you.

While the late US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia affirmed:

• “Words have meaning. And their meaning doesn’t change.”

They certainty can change and do,  if there is not a common definition. Even then the word can be further enhanced or exacerbated by tone, volume or even in writing as to how they are expressed. Let’s consider this word:

Fire

Fire

Fire!

Fire

Fire

Fire

Fire!

FIRE !!!!!!!!!!

The same four letters. Pronounced in the same way and even in print you feel the difference. Therefore you can draw different meanings, memories and elicit varied responses to motivate, manage or manipulate others.

This is even true when it comes to self-talk. As we’ve discussed before that inner dialogue, the never ending conversion you have with yourself ( either inside your head or at times aloud) has a tremendous impact on your self-esteem, value as well as your  accomplishments and / or failures.

Instead of saying “I feel like _ _ _ _” . 

Choose to say “My health is improving”.

Do not bring negativity into your thoughts, or you will find it in your outcomes. And that’s something not very “Becoming”.

Words are an extremely powerful force available for our use.  Motivation also plays an important role as we can opt to select words of encouragement, growth and hope or despair, anger and hate.

On our shared path of “Becoming”, I pray you are selecting the positive. The terms that help, heighten, heal, plus are hopeful, heartening and humble.

Let’s identify a few steps that help make your word choice work for you:

Avoid Self-Criticism

Don’t Gossip

Harness the Positive Energy of Words

Encircle Yourself with Uplifting Expressions

Now that we’ve discussed the importance of word choice, let’s expand our vocabularies with some options for incorporating what we’ve learned. Since this began with yesterday’s discussion of “Boldly Declare”, here are some bold options to declare boldly.

Bold words:

adventurous

audacious

courageous

daring

fearless

heroic

resolute

bantam

forward

gallant

assuming

aweless

dauntless

enterprising

intrepid

unafraid

undaunted

valiant

valorous

Word that are not bold:

afraid

cautious

cowardly

fearful

meek

shy

timid

unadventurous

weak

faint

fair

light

quiet

reticent

retiring

timorous

Words that Declare:

Proclaim 

Announce

Make known

State

Communicate

Reveal

Divulge

Mention

Talk about

 Raise

Air

Bring into the open

Voice

Articulate

Pronounce 

Express 

Vent 

Set forth

Make public 

Publicize

Disseminate

Circulate 

Publish 

Broadcast

Promulgate

Trumpet 

Blazon

Come out with

Shout from the rooftops

Tomorrow we’ll continue our conversation on declaring carefully chosen words as we’ll expand it to include the role of speaking confidently. I’ll also share some more options for selecting words carefully, properly and courageously as we continue along our shared journey of “Becoming Today”.