Words for the Wise
Grasp the power of words and you find power to shape your future.
Words are rudders. The things you say take you places.
Words are:
- Keys that unlock understanding.
- Bridges that connect people. Or they are barriers that divide people.
- Grinding wheels that sharpen thought. Talking hones ideas.
- Sparks that ignite imagination. How would you contribute if you had unlimited resources? How can you do that today in a small way?
- Smoke that conceals. People lie to conceal self-serving motives.
- Anchors that tether you to established thinking.
- Weights that make progress unlikely. You hold people down when you talk about things that can’t be done instead of things that can be done.
- Daggers that wound. You’re wrong if you believe, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.”
- Landmines that blow up in your face. It’s better to say nothing than to say the wrong thing.
- Brushfires that grow into wildfires. Stupid words return with misery on a leash.
A word to the wise:
A word of approval from a boss equals a deed of kindness from someone else.
Words of compassion achieve more than expressions of brilliance.
Real genius is the ability to communicate with few words. Any fool can blab ad nauseum.
Wealthy fools sound wiser than poor geniuses. Stay open to wisdom from many sources.
“Be first to confess your faults and you’ll have the last word: this is not self-scorn but heroic boldness.” Baltasar Gracian in, A Pocket Mirror for Heros
“Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly — they’ll go through anything.” — Aldous Huxley, “Brave New World”
The words you say to yourself are the most powerful words you hear.
Today’s challenge: Choose words that shape the future you aspire to create.
What principle(s) in this post can you take with you today?
John David Mann and I invite you to check out our new book, The Vagrant: The Inner Journey of Leadership. I’m offering a bonus for people who preorder.
“The words you say to yourself are the most powerful words you hear.”
Boom. Mic drop.
Thank you!
My pleasure, SB.
Hi Dan,
This is such a thought-provoking list ! I expect I’ll refer back to it afresh from time to time until it’s been absorbed. Thanks for this hit of Monday wisdom
Thanks, Cate. I love how metaphors instigate thought. They help us all think our own thoughts. Cheers
Good morning, Dan! Great words to start the day. I have been working to adopt a speak less, listen more mentality. Today’s message pairs well with that. I can’t wait to get the new book, I pre-ordered it on August 20th, super excited to get it!
Blessings to your day, and thank you!
~Shannon Strand
Speak less – listen more. Now that’s a challenge for some of us. 🙂 I think our words have more power if we speak fewer of them.
Thank you for pre-ordering The Vagrant, Shannon. Much appreciated.
Face Reality using words that uncover the truth.
Imagine What’s Possible using words that unlock your creativity.
Describe What’s Possible using words that touch the head and heart.
Pursue What’s Possible using words that are action-oriented.
Wonderful insights, Paul. Uses action-oriented words. It’s easy to dance around topics and talk ABOUT things. There’s a difference between talking about and talking to do.
This may be one of my most favorite posts ever…
The power of our words is immeasurable.
Words spoken echo through the heart that hears them for an eternity.
I still remember words spoken to me as a child, a teen, a young father, a young pastor, a struggling husband, a sad friend, a grieving son, a scared new entrepreneur, a broken human and so, so much more.
Those times are daily reminders to me of the power of MY spoken words in the lives of others. YOU reminded me of that.
Thank you my friend.
Page Cole
Thank you, Page. Yes. I still remember words spoken to me. Not just the good ones, either. And there is a warning for all of us. Words cut or heal, lift or crush, energize or deflate.
What a pleasure to both give and receive nourishing words.
Small adjustments in word choices can have great impact.
I’m often amazed when the right words spoken at a particular time can make a significant change or turning point in a situation.
Great point, Ian. We might belittle small adjustments. But they matter. What did you do wrong could become, what do you want to do next time.
When we shift our focus from the past to the future our words become more leaderly.
Or a customer calls; “Well, I’d have to pull the file to take a look” vs “It would be my pleasure to pull the file and take a look”.
I love words. I like reading them. And yet, words are not enough. Words alone don’t make you a good partner. Words alone don’t make you a leader. Words need the substance of actions to become alive. Make sure you do leadership in a way that supports your leadership talk. Walk your talk!
Nailed it, Brack. Words are powerful because they shape behavior. Teams are guilty of talking about instead of talking to do.
Excellent reflection. The first poem I ever had to memorize as an elementary school student I still remember all these many decades later. Carl Sandburg:
“Look out how you use proud words.
When you let proud words go, it is not easy to call them back.
They wear long boots, hard boots; they walk off proud; they can’t hear you calling –
Look out how you use proud words.”