The Power is Yours, So Choose Wisely

For week thirteen in Scribbled Lives, we were asked to feature words form Dorothy Parker. She was a controversial female author, once black listed by many outlets due to her confrontative and abrasive style. The fun thing about researching author’s words is that you get to read about how many different forums react to their writing. I chose this quote as it described wonderfully the difference between using words with intelligence and using them for exercise.

I cannot count the times I have been in conversation with people who seem to always need to have the upper hand; they need to be the smartest one in the group. Their story needs to be the best story. The challenge this poses is that they often zing people or throw in topics that make them look or feel superior, only to leave the people they are speaking with flat on the floor. This is one way to converse. Not the most productive or helpful way, yet in the end they have reached their goal. They are indeed superior (or feel that way) and usually end up alone as no one wants to talk to them after fending off all those zingers!

When we choose to use our words wisely – to employ wit, truth, kindness with the goal of making people feel better, smarter, more engaged – THAT is when people want to be around us, want to talk with us, want to build a lasting relationship. Being smart is fantastic, amazing, very important…however not at the expense of making other people like a lesser version of themselves. Having to one up everyone you meet is not only unproductive, it is exhausting!

Words have power. Choosing our words gives us power. Let me encourage you to think before you speak today. Will your words be uplifting to the other person? Will the way you say things make their day better? Will you add to the conversation in a positive way? Will the way you word your thoughts and ideas help other people grow and imagine bigger, better options? Or will you clear the room eventually being the only one there to hear yourself speak? Our words have the power to build the world bigger and better, or insult and inflict pain on people…it is up to choose how we want to employ our words. The power is yours, so choose wisely!