Do words have the power to change people?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the power of our words. Like how the negative ones can have a harmful effect, if someone said, ‘I hate you’ or ‘you are stupid’, that hurts. But the positive ones, well I think those guys do something really quite special.

They can change a day, offer a glimmer of hope in a time of need, or encourage, support and create a connection. They have the capacity to make someone feel better, and impact a way of thinking. Words can create stories, and those stories can influence and even change the way we live our lives. Words really do have the power to change people. And meaningful, good words, have deep impact.

Maybe right now, we need the good ones more than ever?

The quick text to check in, and a ‘How are you, today?’ message

An unexpected phone call. The in person catch up. A long conversation discussing everything. Or a short one where you simply say, ‘I was just thinking about you, and wondering if you are okay?’ The undertone always being ‘I am here’ no matter what form of communication the words come in. Because I keep thinking about how much words mean to us, and how uplifting they can be.

I love that our words have that capacity to do so much good and bring so much joy

That they can wrap a person in comfort and hold them close despite the messy, painful things a person might be going through. They can be inspiring, relatable, deep and thoughtful. Kind and heart-warming. And something that makes us feel pretty darn good. Words are so great for the soul, and I need more of them. Perhaps we all do?

Maybe we all need that reminder that someone cares, they get it, or we aren’t as alone as we thought we might be?

Maybe people need to hear that they aren’t singular in their thoughts. That their feelings are reciprocated. They aren’t alone. Someone else can understand, relate, or just listen? That’s certainly how I’ve come out the other side of the pandemic. With a want for more conversation, more meaningful words, and more connection. Because personally, I’m still trying to gain a lost bit of ‘connectedness’ with people.

So words, have become even more powerful for me. I want all that honesty, openness, and really vulnerable conversations. Bring on the messy outpourings and well put together incite-full pieces of wisdom. The caring acts, the warming moments, hearing someone’s thoughts, and sharing my own. I want more words, because deep down, the pandemic made me realize how nourishing they are for my soul. And how lost I would have been without them. 

“Words have power. Their meaning crystallizes perceptions that shape our beliefs, drive our behavior, and ultimately, create our world. Their power arises from our emotional responses when we read, speak, or hear them” – Goop.com

In part, that’s why I’m sharing my journey here, with this website Not because I believe mine is a better story to be told. Just simply from a place of wanting to share and to feel more connected with people, and try and create more time for meaningful conversations. To remind myself that we are human, we aren’t alone, and that our words mean so much to one another. And I’m hoping that in these little conversations, someone gets something they need, or feels able to share something I can learn from them or understand more about.

I’m trying to share the things that might matter the most

Those words that are sometimes hard to say or write, but when someone else says, ‘I get it’, ‘me too’, ‘I’ve been there’, ‘yeah, why do we feel like this?’ Doesn’t it feel like something special happened in that moment? Something you can’t explain really, but a thing feels a little lighter than it once did?

That’s why I write about the heartbreaks, the struggles, the lovingly honest fears and worries. The painful moments and the thoughtful ones. The gentle and the tough. The heavy and tired, plus the scared and lonely. The lost, and then the found. The me too moments, and the ones where I learn something completely new. All the good bits, and occasionally a little life learned wisdom. The interesting discussions, and the heartfelt frustrations. I’m sharing everything, as honestly as I can. Because I want to continue with good words, carry on the meaningful conversations, and write in ways that feel good for the soul. Because conversation, feels like a very powerful thing.

“Never underestimate the power of conversation. Almost everything we can do to improve a situation or a problem begins with a conversation. It is the most elegant and effective tool we have to make change and build relationships and community: sharing what is important to us through conversation with another person.”