One of the wonderful things about working at GiveForward is that we find we are inspired on a daily basis by the amazing stories we hear. Our awesome intern, Brennan, was inspired by an article in the Huffington Post by Kristen Houghton on the power of words and wanted to share his thoughts on words and how they impact others, particularly the words shared on GiveForward’s site, during times of real need.
Whether within our own thoughts, spoken or written, words have the powerful potential to transform the world we live in. I’ve experienced firsthand how words have an amazing power to heal, improve, and change another person’s reality:
A few years ago I got a job working in a drapery store. On my first day, my boss led me to a giant fabric-rolling table and explained in a mind-numbing series of steps and procedures how it all worked. He rolled through a bolt of fabric and said, “It’s tricky, but you get it, right?” Before I had a chance to say, “No, not at all,” he was gone…back into his office to shuffle papers around and comb his mustache. To say I struggled through that first hour in that cold concrete warehouse would be the understatement of the century. I ripped expensive fabric to shreds, jammed the machine twice, and nearly took my hand off with the enormous razor-blade. I was a blunder away from heading back to the front office and telling my boss that I was not “cut out” to be a fabric-cutter. As I turned off the machine to give up, another employee walked through the door to start his shift. He introduced himself; he was a veteran, a real-life fabric-rolling professional. He saw the shredded fabric splayed about the floor and asked, “Don’t quite have it down yet?” I nodded. He told me, “It’s much easier than you’d think. Everybody struggles the first hour or so, but by the end of the day, you’ll feel like you’ve been cutting fabric your entire life. It’s really not all that hard.” He left, telling me he had some work to do, but that he would be back in a half-hour to check up on me.
Within a few minutes, something had changed. I was starting to get the hang of it; I was a fabric-rolling monster. You’ve got fabric, I’ll cut it, i’ll cut the heck out of it, I’m the best fabric cutter this side of Mississippi. It wasn’t that any of the physical work had changed, or that the procedure was any less complicated. What had changed was the way I perceived the work. I trusted my co-worker when he told me it was, “easy…not that hard at all.” Really, all I needed was someone to tell me it that it was possible. By implying that the job was easy, he made it so. Sometimes, especially when we are going through something for the first time, we need someone to tell us “it’s going to be okay.” I realized that day how a simple phrase, a few words, can inspire us to achieve goals or they can hold us back from even trying. One simple sentence can make a huge difference in the way we perceive the world.
As an English major at the University of Illinois the power of words were never lost on me. Reading poets like Rudyard Kipling, Walt Whitman, and Saul Williams, I was forced to confront the meaning behind words. What is our unending desire to communicate?
I discovered: not only do we create the words we use, but the words we use also create us.
The Latin transcription of the word “person” translates directly to “beings of sound.” Meaning, our lives as human beings are literally defined by our words and our ability to communicate through sound with each other and the greater universe. The power that words have on us can be observed every day. Whether it be that Ipad commercial that convinced you that ‘just had to have it,’ or the political speech that made you grind your teeth, or the comedian who’s story made you laugh until your sides hurt. Words are intimately entwined with our emotions and thus, our reality. The words we speak are every bit as alive and tangible as the people we communicate with.
If you need further proof of the power that words have in creating the world around us, look no further than the world’s most printed book: the Bible. In the first verse, it reveals, “God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” God said, and then there was. The words came first, creating reality around us. If our world was literally created from words, then imagine the limitless power your own words possess. What you say matters- almost as much as what you do…and isn’t just Christianity that recognizes the power of speech: virtually every religion in the world, at one time or another, has focused on the power of sound vibration. Whether through the chanting of “ohm,” Buddhist and Hindu chants, Islamic prayers and calls to worship, or reciting “Hail Mary” and the Lord’s Prayer, the common thread has been the investment in the belief that change will come about through voicing these sacred words, aloud.
There is no doubt that words have a tremendous effect on the outside world but also on the way in which we think. I had a coach once that liked to say, “Think of your brain like a computer… put good things in, good things print out.” The more we hear words of encouragement, the more encouraging as people we become. Take the phrase, ”When you say you can’t, it means that you won’t.” That statement is profound in its simplicity and its meaning is clear: If you think you can’t, chances are good that you won’t. The power of our words have compelling psychological implications. Even our thoughts are constructed from words. The more affirming the words we choose to use, the more positive we become as people. Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on our health. The health benefits that positive thinking have been linked such qualities as: increased life span, lower rates of depression, greater resistance to the common cold, reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and better coping skills during hardships and times of stress.
This is why on the GiveForward site we allow people to send out virtual hugs to family and friends in need. Although many of the fundraisers on the site are in need of funds to help cover medical expenses, words of encouragement are often equally as important to their recovery. As Kristen Houghton writes, “We have at our disposal a power that can change lives, make the sick healthy, encourage success, guide those who need it, and create a lasting impression of us as people.” So, this week while considering donating to a fundraiser, please don’t forget to leave some support by writing a few kind words in addition to your donation. One of the most powerful healing tools we have can be utilizing the words we use every day. As English poet Rudyard Kipling once said, “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”
Use them well.
This year in the United States an estimated 1.6 million Americans will declare bankruptcy. Many will attribute this financial misfortune to fiscal irresponsibility or indulgence in a lifestyle beyond ones means, but a new study done by Harvard University suggests that more than 62% of all personal bankruptcies are caused by the cost of over-whelming medical expenses.
October marks National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an international health campaign that raises awareness, empowers survivors, and assists in preventing the disease. This year in the United States alone over 230,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and over 40,000 will die of the disease. There is a good chance that someone you know personally will be affected by this horrible disease in their lifetime.
Everyday at GiveForward we witness thousands of people, across the country, showing incredible compassion for loved ones and friends in need. Through donations and virtual hugs we’ve seen powerful impact that empathy and kindness can have on families in a time of need. In all this selfless giving, one aspect of compassion is often overlooked- the compassion we have for ourselves. Are we treating ourselves as well as we treat our friends and family? This is the question being addressed in new psychological research: What effect does our self-image have on our health ?
