But its with us at all hours, in every moment, it never leaves us.
I'm talking about POWER, and the type of power that's been bouncing around inside my head like a wild monkey, has been the power of our words and what they can do.
I heard a recent podcast, or it might have been an audio-book, and the speaker gave a stat, I don't remember the exact numbers but it was staggering. He said there was once a study and that 85% of prison inmates said they're parents told them at a young age "You're going to be in prison some day." Then there were similar numbers of kids with college degrees, they claim that they always knew they were going to graduate college because of the same reason. Their parents said they would.
And it made me wonder and daydream, thinking back, thinking forward, thinking about all the kids I've worked with, all the adults I've worked with... everyone.
The power of our words... the power to control emotions and help someone else do the same, with our words... the power to infuse hope, with our words... the power to maintain a faith in whats right, in whats good with our words... the power to help with our words.
Ironically, I sat down here at my laptop thinking a bunch of words and stories would spill right out... but I'm still thinking...
"Some words when spoken, can't be taken back."
I don't really want to dig up any old, hard stories... I've said enough about all of that.
I'm think ahead now.
Words can do a lot. they can drag someone down, the can lift them up. They can manipulate, they can motivate. They can pull emotion, the can numb you, the can force you back in time or take you into the future. Our connection, our communication... is everything.
I hope you know and really believe that you have the power to help someone. I want you to know that you have the ability to say something to someone inspire hope. You're needed. Hope is needed.
We get into our routines. We wake up, we punch in, we work and work, we go to lunch at the same time, we do the same shit over and over... some of us do that, right? Things can get really routine. And because of that, sometimes life feels static. We drive to work and forget what we saw, we don't even remember the drive. We'll work for 5 hours and not really take anything positive from it... we were just, there.
So that static feeling, we turn into robots and forget how needed we are. We're so locked into the path we're walking, we forget that that's not really what we're here to do. Very, very few of us are working the job that they were born to work, so I think it's kind of silly to drain so much energy on it, while ignoring people. I'm not saying you cant get a tremendous amount of pleasure out of your job, not at all, you should be enjoying your job. I'm saying enjoy it all, but don't forget about the people around you.
Don't forget to listen more than you respond.
-----------
Think about water... think about nutrition. Think about how important it is to take in the right amount of nutrients to grow, to become as healthy as possible. Think about we need it everyday. Right?
Think about being responsible for the health of children... you;d want to do the same thing. Feed them healthy foods, make sure they're taken, make sure they're hydrated, etc.
Think about taking care of a village... same goes. You'd want to make sure they all have food to feed their families, right?
None of the above would you want to feed junk, garbage picked, crap food, right? You want clean, healthy, fresh water, not sewer water. You want clean, healthy food, not junk, rotten food.
Now substitute nutrition with positive speech, with loving speech. Sub in motivating, inspiring, speech that makes you daydream and want to be something so awesome and dynamic and well rounded and peaceful.
Like the water we drink, we want it clean and refreshing. We want it hydrate our soul and energize us.
You have the power to give "nutrients," and the choice is yours in how you do it. You can hand out nasty, dirty, muddy water or you can hand out the most refreshing, hydrating, tasteful water you've ever tasted.
Its absolutely up to you.
Its Sunday night so set a goal to stop yourself when you feel some sewage about to spill out.
Stop telling people what they cant do and tell them how endless the possibilities are and everything they can do.
Stop telling your friend how dumb he or she is and guide them mindfully.
Stop holding your kid back. Stop trying to force them into your mold, into your thought. Do you hold trees down by the branches? No, we give them sun light and water and space to grow. Let the kids grow however they grow. Yes, we can protect them and offer guidance, but more than anything, let them grow into themselves so they don't have to do it in their mid 30's or later.
Don't box people into your thoughts of right or wrong, enjoy each other. We're all so different, its so amazing. I truly enjoy so many, so many people because of that. The only thing that makes me sad is when I see and feel that they're not living truthfully, they're still trying to find their path... and that lost path is loaded. So when you get the chance to shed the light, do it.
When you get the chance to be around kids, you better have your shit together and be honest and real and be a leader. If you're not, quietly excuse yourself until you're ready.
Stop holding back your honesty. Don't be afraid.
You have to learn through experience. None of the good shit is learned in books or via story telling, you cant absorb a life you haven't lived yourself.
(get that irony?)
"Deal with your shadow before it deals with you."
Notice the people around you... are they lifting you up or bringing you down?
If you see someone being treated unfairly, step up and show your strength. You don't have to be rewarded for it. You might actually be punished for it... take it. You'll never regret honesty.
Do whatever it is you have to do, to help you find your voice... you have one, its their.
You're not here to be average
