Words have so much power. Some people don’t even realise how much.

They have the power to make or break someone so completely.

Words can take you from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in a single heartbeat, and they have the power to affect your outlook on life for days, weeks, or even dangerously, months or years.

Now, I have always thought myself to be a fairly considerate person. I always try to protect other people’s feelings at the expense of my own, and my husband hates it. I have no issue telling HIM how I feel if he says something that makes me feel hurt and crappy, and yet if anyone else does it, I don’t say a word.

I just take it. I take it because I don’t want to upset them if I don’t agree. And stupidly, I take it because I don’t want to make them feel bad even if they have said something that has completely hurt my own feelings. So I don’t say a word.

Instead, I listen intently to the words that are said to me. I take them in, and give those harsh words time to soak fully into my brain. This way I can replay them over and over and over and over again, until I get so sad or so worked up that I can’t do anything other than just sit down and cry.

And then once that’s over, I replay the words some more.

Sometimes my husband begs me to stand up for myself against other people, the way that I can confidently stand up to him (poor guy). But I can’t. Words have too much power and I wouldn’t want to hold that power over anyone else.

I cringe at the thought of making someone else feel unhappy because of something I have said. I feel sick at the possibility that I may have stripped away someone’s confidence with my careless words, and that I could make them hate themselves the way that I sometimes hate myself. So I don’t say anything. I just take what they say and let them stay happy. I let them win over and over.

Because I know what its like. And I cannot be the cause of it for someone else.

But there ARE some people who will say whatever they feel to someone without thinking of the consequences. Without caring that their words may be what that person uses to define themselves.

Because, whether it is meant or not, words can start to shape how you see yourself. Who you think you are. Who you become.

Tell someone they look fat enough and they will start to hate their body and starve themselves to look more like they are “supposed to”. Tell someone they are stupid enough and they will start to think they have nothing of value to say and will stop talking altogether. Tell someone that they are a terrible mother, and they will question every little interaction they have with their child and hate themselves, never feeling good enough as a parent.

None of these things are ok to say to anyone.

And yet those people don’t even realise that what they are saying is wrong. They don’t listen to the words coming out of their own mouth. They throw them about with such a careless disregard for how it will affect the person they are talking to. They don’t care if they are rude, cruel, or thoughtless. They don’t give a shit.

But that’s sooooooo not good enough.

Because each of us has a social responsibility to take care of those around us. To support and love whomever we come into contact with throughout our lives, regardless of religion, colour, sexuality, looks, personal choices or whether or not that person has chosen to let their child cry it out for twenty minutes.

So, I implore you all dear readers to have a care and reign no judgement on others. To think about what impact your actions may have on others. To think about whether or not your words, your jokes could be cutting someone down and making them feel lesser. When you should only be lifting them up.

Because YOUR words have the power to do that.

So it’s up to you to choose. Choose to give out only kindness, support and love. Choose to only help others. Choose to protect, honour and respect each other. And choose to make this world a kinder and healthier world to live in, and to raise our children in. Be the example you want them to learn from.

Because we can make a difference together. One kind word at a time.

 

 

 

Are you going to take up the challenge to live a kinder life? If so, tell me about what you plan to do below! I would love to hear about it below!

 

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