Word Consciousness

Lately I have been very conscious of the words that I hear and the one's that I speak. Words are powerful. They can build or destroy someone. A negative word can cut deep into someone's spirit and fester for years. I am aware of the people around me who are suffering from the infection of negativity.

In the workplace I've heard negativity such as, "she isn't special" or "she has no personality." How dare anyone give themselves that much power to say that someone else isn't special? Who the hell do they think they are? No personality? As my mom said, everyone has a personality. These are people who are not aware of the power of their words. These are those nasty, sticky words that stay in someone's consciousness for years. The words that keep repeating. The words that create low self-esteem in individuals.

I hear harmful words every day, everywhere and they make me cringe. Words like shut up which means "what you have to say isn't important." Words like you're stupid. Words like you don't know what you are talking about.

If we can be more conscious of what we say and how we say it we could create less combative surroundings. Taking a few extra seconds to think about how something can be said appropriately would make everyone's life easier. Everyone is special, everyone has something to say and we really need to start listening to each other and respecting one another.

Negativity kills creativity and we all have the power to create and contribute something to this world.