Words - What do they mean to you?

 Words - What do they mean to you?

Firstly, I would like to say how overwhelmed I am by the amount of positive feedback, I really appreciate you taking the time to communicate that, Thank You 🤗 to each and everyone of you.

In years to come I will look back and probably read my first blog, roll my eyes and cringe, I know one of my sons does exactly this, when he rereads his first ever Facebook Post, stating; "Chocooooooolate I was eating!" 🤪

This week I have been thinking about how powerful "Words" can be, how easily they roll off the tongue and how natural it is to speak without thinking. 

When we speak, how often do we think about the full impact to the person we are relaying them too? 

Do we consider how they are going to be received and their meanings read into?

With this in mind a couple of scenarios spring to mind.

Thinking back to when one of my sons was 6 years old and finishing his school day. There was a mix up at the school gate and he managed to walk out to the carpark unnoticed. He followed what he thought was a teacher, in fact it had been one of the other mums who had not noticed him tailing her, after putting her child in the car she drove away. 

Being stranded my son decided the best plan of action would be to walk home. Being so young he did not realise this was impossible as we lived a 20 minute drive away. Unperturbed, he started his trek north in the direction of our village, crossing busy roads and walking along the rugged dusty track next to the main road. An Irish couple driving by stopped to check if he was Ok as they could see he was in the middle of nowhere trying to drag his wheely bag through the rocks and mud! 

They offered him a lift and he got in their car. After driving 10 minutes they knew something was not right, so stopped at a village shop to call the police, who then reunited us with our son after an hour and a half of one of the most stressful and traumatic moments in my life. A few weeks later my son was finally able to open up and talk about what had happened, it took time as he had been deeply traumatised by the whole event. 

I asked  "I don't understand, Why did you get in the car with Strangers? You know I always said Never get in a car with strangers" 

His response was simple, "They were not strangers Mummy, they were nice people" 

Reflecting on what I had advised him, I had expressed how "Bad" strangers were, so in his eyes these people were "Nice" people as they offered to help him out of a horrible and scary situation. 

So you see, the words I had chosen to explain a "stranger" to me were very clear, however he had interpreted them in a totally different way. 

Sometimes when we express ourselves with words, we don't always realise how life changing they can be to others. 

A good friend of mine once commented to me; "It's important to do something for yourself every day" I am sure she could see how I was wrapped up in everyone else's demands, to an outsider looking in, it was clear, however I was totally unaware. 

Back then, I was very occupied, being a mother of four young children, a housewife, business woman, juggling dog walking and keeping up with my family/friends, I have to say having a moment to myself had never crossed my mind. I had not left any time or space just for Me.

This simple but powerful sentence has sat with me ever since, I questioned... What could I do for myself? Yes I attended a weekly yoga class but that was about it. Certainly I was not thinking about my own needs or wants on a daily basis.

So remember, what we say even on a whim could change someone's life for the better. Use kind words and notice you have the power to help.

I would like to ask you to consider how and what you are saying to others. If you see a friend or family member struggling, is there something you could say to help them? Would this assist them to open up and share or give themselves space to reflect.

I invite you to think, have you ever been given some information that has changed your outlook and improved your life. It would be great for you to share this in the comments so that others can receive inspiration. You don't have to put your name, you are able to comment anonymously.

 Looking forwards to reading your responses with interest. 

                                                         Catch up soon X💜X

P.S: If you have any friends who you think may benefit from this blog please feel free to go ahead and share.