In my daily experience I have found many occasions for tears and smiles caused by the unexpected circumstances that just pop up along my path. Encounters with my own weaknesses and strengths, coupled with those of others, still provide daily occasions for choosing just what my attitude for the moment will be. Will I enjoy this moment or will I choose to be grouchy, bitter, unforgiving, and resentful? All of those last reactions are toxic. They have the power to completely spoil my day. And...
We have the power of choice. The power of choice is what separates us from animals. We make hundreds of decisions each day. These choices range from the mundane to the sublime. They may be choices of friends, what we eat, how we dress, what we read, whether we cheat or act with integrity. All choices have bad or good results. Bad choices will lead to: regret, guilt, misery, and sorrow about not having lived up to our potential, about the hurts we have caused, or the help we have withheld...
Words can be sources of self-fulfilling prophecies about the kind of people we become. By that I mean, that if we label ourselves, either negatively or positively, that label can be the power that will drive us to develop into what we accept as factual. We tend to believe the labels that others deposit upon us as well as those we put upon ourselves. If we picture ourselves as nerds or party animals, leaders or followers, inept or competent, ignorant or erudite, incorrigible or redeemable...
Why are so many malicious words being uttered around us everyday? Isn’t anyone in our world happy? Just because there are terrible things going on, do we need to add to this horrific mix, our own words of hostility, impatience, vengefulness, pessimism, and loveless-ness? How did you start your day? Were you crabby, pouting, or hostile? How many people have you affected adversely just in this one day? Surely there has been room for a kind word, a word of forgiveness, and a word of encour...
Though we are admonished not to judge other people, it is wise to be on the alert, to discern just what kind of mindset other people may be displaying. One way to do that is to be a good listener. By listening to the words that people say and you can usually determine what kind of person they are. There are exceptions. If one is an actor, a storyteller, or an entertainer, you might have to wait until they are off stage before drawing your conclusions.If you can spend several days with someone...
In my first attempt to share my thoughts on the power our words can have on others and on ourselves, I wondered off a bit. That happens often these days. Some people call that having a “senior moment,” but it is just my way of putting down whatever seems to pop up in my mind as I write.I like that about this blog thing. Unless a person is a perfectionist, there is no need to have a great style, to be a stickler for grammar or to fear that you will be misunderstood. I have found that blog rea...