How Important are our Words?, pt. 3

My last two blog posts were on compassionate communication and honest communication.  In this article, I would like to expand on the theme of speaking sympathetic words to hurting people.

We all have hidden pain. That makes it hard for us to build empathetic connections. Some people appear to be too perfect for us to touch. Others are so caught up in their own trauma that they cannot see beyond their own brokenness. They lash out, not heeding the wounds their anger is causing.

My good friend, Carol Graham, is a prime example of putting others first. No matter what she’s going through, she monitors her words. Her life is full of ongoing challenges. Also, she often has new fires to put out. Despite this, she sacrifices her own time and money to blog, to consult with people about their health, and to speak in various locations--all for free.

The amount of people she’s helped throughout the years probably numbers in the thousands. I am honored to be one of them.

In a recent article, Carol told the story of how she lifted the spirits of a server in a restaurant. The young lady was being bullied (that’s the only way to put it) by a couple of diners. It was a hot day. Everybody was suffering. However, the impatient customers only cared about themselves.

You have to read the story to see how Carol helped the lady. What she did only took a few moments, but I’m sure it made a world of difference to the harried worker.  We’ve all seen rudeness in public. It’s not often that we hear stories of people working to counteract that disrespect. That’s why my friend’s account is worth the read.

My Conclusion

Please see more on healthy interactions in my book, Accept No Trash Talk: Overcoming the Odds. 

Communication brings us together. We interact mainly through words. Only we can decide if that interaction will be positive or negative. We make that choice every time we speak, type, or write something.

Individuals such as my friend, Carol Graham, choose to uplift people. Since we’re all busy, that’s never an easy decision. Nevertheless, spreading positivity is crucial in this time of increasingly sorrowful news.

Psalm 37:30 (ESV) “The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.”

Do you choose positive or negative interactions?