As a writer, words are my favorite thing, the basic building blocks of everything good. Words are the means by which stories happen, by which important ideas are shared, by which progress is made.
But over this last Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I struggled to balance the all-importance of words with their utter lack of meaning.
We saw MLK quotes thrown about like confetti on Monday, some complemented by individual intent and consistent action, others just a cut and paste exercise in self-soothing on social media. The same words, deeply meaningful when spoken by one of our nation’s great leaders, but repurposed with varying levels of authenticity.
As a lover of words, it pains me so much when words are meaningless.
We do a disservice to ourselves and everyone around us when we toss out words like fluff, with nothing to anchor them in our actions.
Getting someone to take the time to read anyone’s words is tough, and we need to honor that. We need to take time with our words and match them to our intentions. Because whether we cheapen them, deny their power, or inflate our egos with them, words have more meaning than we allow ourselves to recognize.
Life is too short to waste your words or worry about anyone else’s empty blather. Let’s make sure that we nurture our words into action, and that we live them in the same way that MLK did.
Because after all, the words of individual people make movements — but only when they come with meaning, intention and action.
Gonnerman Coaching & Consulting 