Tag Archives: #WORDS
Words have always been a fascination! Perhaps it’s in the genes. Grandmother was a schoolteacher at Mark Center, Ohio High School; and she loved words; and Dad studied the dictionary and was reading the Saturday Evening Post before he was off to the first grade. Grandma worked the Toledo Blade crosswords: had a stack beside her Morris chair; and she read the Reader’s Digest and was religious about keeping every copy of the Digest and completing “It Pays to Increase Your Word Power” pages in the Digest. Before taking the SAT and ACT college entrance tests, Grandma and I studied words at her oak dining room table using her collection of Reader’s Digest “Word Power” articles.
A recent list of words reminded of the time with Grandma: bamboozled, discombobulated, cattywampus, malarkey, brouhaha, skedaddle, doohicky, persnickety, whatnot, gobsmacked, flibbertigibbet, tenterhooks, poppycock, whippersnapper, flabbergasted, shenanigans, lollygag, kerfuffle, nincompoop, pumpernickel, thingamajig, whatsit, whatchamacallit, flummoxed, dingleberry, goggleygook, canoodle and codswallop.
As a reader, a few of the recent words used to describe Donald Trump: angry, mean, liar, racist, insults, exaggerates, provokes, ignorant, attached to Self, spins, deceptions, puts out what he receives back, jealous, envious, disparaging, name calling, sexist, misogynist, sarcastic, game player, tantrums, childish, circus ring-leader, deflector, flypaper for attention, egotistic, narcissist, attention wanting, dividing, divisive, polarizing, tribal, identity seeker, loud, rude, outrageous, phony, blames, refuses to accept responsibility, confrontational, weak, cantankerous, badgering, threatening, law breaking, like gum on the bottom of a shoe, dictator, deconstruction of constitutional, legal, government and political norms, selfish, demagogue, cruel, short-sighted, repulsive, loathed, moral failure, criminal, corrupt, celebrity and…right, wrong, should, and ought for you, not me. Thoughts then wander to the Access Hollywood Tape, 12 women with sexual harassment claims, pay-offs to Stormy Daniels, Karen MacDougal, southern border immigration disasters, Mueller Report (Russian interference in 2016 election; obstruction of justice; Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, Carter Page and Michael Flynn in prison), impeachment fiasco and pandemic leadership and management chaotic disaster. Really?
We can do better in the November 2020 election!! Quite simply, we need a strong leader who models the way and manifests American character, personality and mentality; cares about people; knows how to get good things done with good people through credible, earned influence; stands up for United States interests; is honest and trustworthy; and can work with foreign leaders.
“If we want to know who we were meant to be before the world told us who to be…” (Glennon Doyle, Untamed) we will make a difference in our reality. Words do make a difference. Let us make “much better” and “beautiful” a reality in November 2020!! Quite simply: grounded, professional, effective, accountable, 100% responsible, kind, wise, generous, loving, leader, compassionate, patient, disciplined, tolerant, empathetic, stability, outer equality, discriminating awareness, values diversity, inclusive, transcends and includes, humane, harmonious, beautiful, healthy, well-being, models wellness, mindful, self-restrained, aware, globally respected, sane, quality, facts, truth, honesty, integrity, morality, magnetic, visionary…am certain you get the picture. Yes! We will do much, much, much better!!
“Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble.” (Y. Berg) And a person who controls the message of words has tremendous power over others.
As the 2020 Election unfolds, we have choices to make about leadership—President, Senators and Representatives—for respective visions of America for Americans. More than likely choices will be based on words. Will choices be based on words of encouragement or words of despair?
Words that today monopolize media…lies, deception, spins, obstruction, abuse, human scum, traitors, chaos, entertainment, corruption, use other people’s money, kleptocracy, dynasty, autocracy, racism, above the law, divisiveness, partisan, war, bombs and bullets, street shootings, smoke and mirrors, Russia, impeachment, corruption, fear, abuse of power, obstruction of justice, cult-like, tribal, business failings, pay-offs to porn stars, partisan vulgarity, broken promises, scandals, low character, bad judgement, failed policies, cover-ups, low intellect, disruption, conflict, deconstruction, selfish, narcissist, demagogue, cruel, fraud, short-sighted, et al.
The opposite spectrum of powerful words…prosperity, security, facts, truth, order, respect, harmony, poise, receptivity, positiveness, team effort, teamwork, childcare, guardians, self-mastery, integral life practice, health, non-partisan, wellness and well-being, mind”full”ness, awareness, self-restraint, values, equality, fairness, globally respected, quality, guiding principles, ethics, peace, clean air, non-partisan, value in diversity, safe schools, no debt, sincerity, trustworthy, believable, passionate, disciplined, generosity, wise, direct, open, nice, 100% responsibility, apology, loving-kindness, patient, tolerant, compassionate, humanness, beautiful, smiling, et al.
Words are powerful and the paradox of choice is clear: an America for Americans that is inspiring and visionary for generations to come—love, hope, happiness, peace-of-mind, purpose and connections created on a foundation of compassion and good; or an America for Americans that is evil and dictatorial for generations to come—pay-back, fear, hate, vindictive, intimidation, economic insecurity and decay and global disrespect. Christian D. Larson offers, “So long as we continue to resist or deny evil, we will think about evil, and so long as we think about evil, evil will be impressed upon the subconscious, that the subconscious will reproduce and bring forth into personal life.” When there is only one power which decides who is right and who is wrong, and who should be punished and who not, we have a form of…dictatorship. (James Heiser)
