Hello, all! Happy Friday! Hope you’re having a wonderful afternoon, maybe sitting and writing in a coffee shop while waiting to meet with an old friend, like me.
This morning, my little sister had an appointment, and I was sitting in a waiting room reading one of the books they’d left out for families to peruse while they wait. I found the language of the book to be a bit contrived and its underlying philosophy somewhat contrived, but the chapter I read actually hit upon a good point: it underlined and explained the power of words, both spoken and written, and the extent to which society, though deeply affected by it, tends to ignore this.
It occurs to me that a lot of the things I’m trying to do this year, and more broadly, a lot of the things on my 101 list, are directly related to words and their use. In fact, three of my four year-long goals are about words: blogging once a week, writing a poem a week, and submitting writing once a week. Of course, it’s hard to think of a part of my life words don’t touch: I’m a sister, daughter, writer, actor, singer, reader, academic, negotiator, mentor, Bible study leader, student, etc.: words couldn’t be more relevant to me, in both their spoken and written forms.
This got me thinking that maybe I’d give myself a focus this year. I realize that I need to pay more attention to words and their power. I want to pay more attention to the words I surround myself with, how I allow myself to be affected by words, what words I choose to speak, and how I use words in writing. Language has the power to completely change people’s perceptions and attitudes about themselves and the world. I want to use words as effectively, truthfully, sincerely, and positively as possible in my interactions with the world, and I want to be cognizant of how the words of others, spoken, written, or sung, affect me.
I want to speak, write, and pray with more clarity, assertiveness, authenticity, purpose, and love. I want to surround myself with words of positivity, encouragement, truth, and love. I want to say and write what I mean without using fluff words that have no purpose or words that dilute my opinions and convictions. I want to learn to be diplomatic and loving without being halfhearted. I want to use and receive words as a blessing, not a curse. I want to read the Word of God and acknowledge that without God’s creativity, I would have no creativity or language myself.
There’s a reason that the closest way the Bible can explain creation is through telling us that God spoke the universe into existence, that the way John describes the Trinity is the Word being with God and being God. Our ability to create and destroy through language is one of the ways we are created in God’s image, and we have to recognize the power and responsibility with which this leaves us. Our words have power, and I want to spend the next year diving into that.
101 things update: I finished something yesterday! One of my items was to finish a knitting project, and we had a knitting party last night. I finished a dark green scarf, which I am currently wearing. It was a simple project, but it still counts.
Also, since it’s now the new year, several more items are now in progress. However, I also haven’t been getting up to my alarm, so I’m going to have to start that one over.
That’s my update! Check my sidebar if you’re ever curious how many items I’ve completed or how many I’m currently working on.