There are gazillions
of examples of reading material out there. There’s no way we have time to sort
through them all. We have to prioritize. (This
is where I thank you kindly for deciding to read my blog.)
So, what
prompts us to read certain things? Usually,
we read to satisfy the three “E”s: entertainment, enlightenment,
or empowerment. When you boil
it all down (“reduce it”, in cooking terms), those are the main goals. No more;
no less.
On the flip
side…What is the motivation for authors? Surprise! Surprise! To entertain, enlighten, or empower.
Simple! In the process, authors can often learn much more than their readers.
It’s mirrored by the well-known maxim that the teacher will learn more than the
student.
Personally,
I learn a heck of a lot each time I do research for my writing. I expand my
mind and I am encouraged.
Why I Like Quotes
A friend on
Google+ was curious to know why I’ve been using so many quotations lately. She’s
been reading my blog for almost a year, and she has noticed a shift in the past
couple of months. I told her that I’m probably using quotes for these reasons:
- People seem to like them.
- I enjoy researching them.
- They counteract the negativity that I feel, but cannot post on my blog. In other words, they temporarily interrupt/subvert my almost constant pessimistic self-talk. In this way, they’re empowering.
- It adds credibility to an article when the thoughts of prominent figures echo my own.
- Writing quotes is easier than coming up with my own words.
- They’re powerful in that they say so much in a minimum of space.
The Influence of Words
Just ask any
verbally abused/harassed individual how words are actual containers for power.
On the bright side, those who count their blessings, or use positive
affirmations, can also vouch for the strength of words. As Joyce Meyer says, “Complain and remain. Praise and be raised.”
Truer words were never said!
Joel Osteen
The head
pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston Texas regularly focuses on positive
thinking. Two stories that affirm the power of positivity follow:
- His mother cured herself of cancer through prayer, visualization, and positive affirmations.
- A lady cured herself of crippling mental illness by reciting the following: “I’m getting better every day in every way.” She did this hundreds of times a day.
Wait,
please! Don’t get upset! I know it’s
not that easy. Nothing is cured overnight with only a few words. Improvement
does not usually happen instantly, and it’s not passive. Both of these ladies
worked for ages to find total freedom from their condition.
Their
optimism was merely the main catalyst
for change, not the only one. Here’s
the point: If they had remained negative, they probably would have seen no transformation,
big or small.
Words: a Means for Transformation
Please keep
track of how you feel after you read the following affirmations:
First-person
affirmations from Joyce Meyer:
- "God loves me, and He has a good plan for my life.”
- “I believe that God is working, and I’m getting better all the time.
A Tradition of Searching
out Positivity:
- Chris Tryon, a fellow survivor, says that “Hope” is an acronym: Have Only Positive Expectations. It was the key to her overcoming cancer almost four years ago.
- Dr. Rosanne Higgins is a friend on Google+ who has many ongoing challenges. She chooses to counteract this by writing down five blessings every morning. She posts them on the wall in her place of work.
- Dr. Carolyn Robinson is a lady of faith who regularly posts uplifting quotations, such as the following: “When God pushes you to the edge of difficulty, trust Him fully because two things can happen: either He’ll catch you when you fall, or He will teach you how to fly.”
My Conclusion
Luke 10:19—“Behold, I give unto you power to
tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and
nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
Okay, realistically
speaking, life will be full of trials for most of us. The trick is to use the
power of words to help us to deal with those setbacks.
I’m in. Are
you? Are we empowered, yet? That’s what it’s all about!
Please see more about empowerment in my book, Accept No Trash Talk: Overcoming the Odds
