October 2004

“Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you”, so goes the childhood saying. Unfortunately, it is simply not true. The sticks and stones may make a more visible wound, but both create significant wounds.

When a person is hit, that causes one kind of kind of damage; however, words can cause a very significant wound as well. When someone is called a name, that wound goes deep. It is difficult to heal. When you are called stupid by your parents, you believe that you are stupid, no matter if the facts tell you something different.

But because we have been taught, by sayings such as the one above, we tend to discount words as not as meaningful. I know of a woman who is an emotionally abusive relationship, but she will not leave. She has said on more than one occasion, “It would be so much easier if he would hit me. Then I can leave.”

Why can we not appreciate the power that words have in our lives? Words make a difference in both a positive and negative way. So, appreciate the words that you are using. Be sure that you are not using words as a weapon, because they can be lethal.

And be sure to use some kind words to yourself as well!