Words Can Make A Difference

By Zig Ziglar

As a youngster I heard a little rhyme which said, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." That's untrue. Words can give us hope and encouragement, or they can break our spirits and dash our hopes.

It has been said that one picture is worth ten thousand words, but the person who said that had obviously never read the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence or the 23rd Psalm. They'd never read Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address," or the impassioned pleas of Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill or Patrick Henry. Those words changed the course of history and gave individuals and nations a hope for a better future.

Charles Osgood says, "Compared to the spoken word, a picture is a pitiful thing indeed." For example, a father who was attending a three-day seminar with his teenage son stood up and, for the first time in the boy's memory, said, "I love you, Son, and I'm proud of you." A joyous, tear-filled coming together was the result of that father uttering those words. Yes, our words have awesome power.

In the business community, a service representative could respond to a question by saying, "I'll have to get back to you with the answer," or "I'll be happy to get back to you with the answer." In describing a friend someone could say, "She is a bright, attractive, ambitious, hard-working woman, but she wears glasses." The connotation is obviously negative. They could say, "She is a bright, attractive, ambitious, hard-working woman and she wears glasses." What a difference one word can make!

Yes, the changing of words changes the thought. Thought leads us into either positive or negative action. Needless to say, the right words produce the right thoughts which produce the right action which produce good results. Think about it. Use the right words and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 26 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.