I wrote this blog on June 28, 2008. I share it again as a reminder that our words are never “just semantics” – they carry great weight and breadth. We never know where the energy of our words will find receptive ears, and the action that those receptive ears will take.
Yesterday, the Chairman of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company was murdered at the gates of one of the company’s depots. He had just stepped out of a meeting with the trade unions to buy cigarettes when he was gunned down.
I heard the head of one of the Trade Unions being interviewed on radio about the incident. The interviewer pointed out that the workers should bear some responsibility for this since some of them, in a heated meeting three weeks previously, had “thrown words” to the effect that “Chambers fi dead!”. The union boss was adamant that workers were not to be blamed.
It occurred to me as I listened that we do not understand how powerful our words are. Our words are the energy of our thoughts transmitted out to the universal energy field. Our words magnify and expand the energy of our thoughts. If we are thinking negative thoughts, then our words will magnify this energy in a negative and expanded way, perhaps even exponentially. When we think and speak, we put our energy out. We may believe that this energy disappears and evaporates once spoken. I believe otherwise. Our energy simply flows to where it finds welcoming haven, in the minds of those with similar thoughts. When that happens, then it multiplies the power of the word: for now, one plus one equals two – or maybe it is one times one equals two! Whatever it is, the energy of the word you put out there is doubled.
And so, when those workers spoke those words, perhaps they did not mean them. Perhaps they were just speaking in the heat of the moment. Perhaps they were just letting off steam. Whatever their intention, the energy of their words went out into the world and lodged in the minds of two men who had similar thoughts. That energy doubled. And the men took action at the gates of the bus company depot yesterday.
We MUST watch our words. It is the first step in watching our thoughts. Our words determine not just the quality of our lives, but the quality of our community, society and indeed our world. When we become aware of what we are saying, then we are in a position to change the words, and the thoughts. It is not “just semantics” – changing our words from negative to positive actually changes the wider energy field. If enough of us do that, then the energy of our community, society and entire world will change from negative to positive. Watching our words is our first step, our contribution to a world of peace and love.
How can we “watch our words”?
- Calm your emotions. Hold silence in the moment when you start to feel intense negative reactions. Just be silent until you are calm and breathing normally again. Remember Stephen Covey’s words “There is a space between stimulus and response. Within that space lies our power to choose”.
- Start noticing your words by observing how others react. You can try to deflect blame by thinking something’s wrong with them, or you can look at how you may have contributed to their reaction.
- Enlist help – ask people with whom you work closely to give you feedback. It’s not a weakness to ask for help.
- Avoid getting caught up in the war of words. Again, hold your silence, say something positive or move away. No need to add to the negativity – there’s more than enough to go around.
- Understand that it takes daily, moment by moment practice. Some days you will do well, others not so well. The point is to be patient with yourself, so that every slip-up becomes learning rather than failure.
