Some things stick to you…dog hair, for instance. Then there’s maple syrup, bad habits, or a good reputation.
One of the most powerful, unseen things that often sticks to us is words. Words have the ability to speak life and death, to build up or tear down.
Tell someone they will never amount to much or don’t have what it takes often enough, and even the most confident, resilient person will begin to second-guess and doubt themselves. Tell someone they are inspiring, creative, great leaders, or one of the most caring individuals you know, and chances are they will strive to live up to those words.
I recently watched a short video about Thomas Edison. It’s only one minute, and I would encourage you to watch it now. In this video, you see the results of what a mom’s belief about her son combined with the power of being intentional about her words accomplished.
The thing is, just because somebody says something to you or about you doesn’t mean it’s true. You can tell me I am the greatest athlete you’ve ever known – and no matter how many times you say it, I still won’t be able to dunk a basketball or hit my tee-shot 300 yards straight! So our words need to be anchored in plausibility. But you know, telling me I am the greatest at something is likely to motivate me towards excellence, to believe the best about myself more than if you constantly berate me
So choose your words wisely…they have more power than you realize.
