Small Words, BIG Impact

Words are an extremely powerful tool. They have the power to affect things in a way that cannot be achieved by most other things. Words have caused more scars than swords have; they can cut deeper than any wound ever could. And whilst time may heal all wounds, the effect of words can remain indefinitely as they are stored in the subconscious and much more difficult to medicate.

On the other hand, words can have the effect of creating beauty and conjuring up images which are meaningful, inspirational and memorable. Words, spoken or written in a certain context can even cause goose bumps to form, such is the potential power of them.

To me, words are the most powerful when they are simple and meaningful, especially when they are accompanied by other words that enhance or complement them, change their meaning or implication, or simply aid the word to say more.

Less is more…. and much more of a statement is made when words are basic, simple and constructed carefully. Even in silent pauses, volumes can be spoken. Sometimes, it’s also what is not said, but implied between the lines, that is the most powerful.

I truly love the power of words… hence why I love to write. Whether it be for my personal satisfaction or for my work, I take great care in constructing my writing to achieve the greatest impact with the best combination and use of words.

They say that good things come in small packages, the same is true for words. Some of the smallest and simplest words, whilst they may be insignificant on their own, when combined with other seemingly small, insignificant words, can become powerful beyond belief.

Consider the words ‘what’ and ‘if’. On their own they don’t have much meaning but put them together and it’s an entirely different story.  ‘What it?’…

One of my favourite movies, and yes, it’s a chick flick, is ‘Letters to Juliet’; a romantic movie set in the beautiful city of Verona, Italy and the countryside of Tuscany. What could be a more beautiful setting? A young writer from New York travels to Verona and as you would expect, is drawn to ‘Juliet’s House’ which is in the centre of the city. This place is visited by thousands of tourists each year, who make the pilgrimage and leave letters about love to Juliet.

(Pause while my mind travels back to when I visited Juliet’s house in 2013, seeing all of the declarations of love plastered on every inch of the walls….)

Back to the movie….

Whilst reading the notes on the wall, the young writer discovers a letter buried behind one of the bricks and removes it. After all the tourists had gone, she witnesses a woman carefully taking down all of the day’s letters from the wall, putting them in a basket and taking them away. The writer follows her and discovers a group of local woman sitting in a restaurant writing replies to all of the letters, drawing from their own life experiences to carefully construct their responses.

The writer takes a seat amongst the women and reads them the letter she had taken from the wall. The other women encourage her to write the response, posing as Juliet.

This is her response…

Dear Claire,

‘What’ and ‘if’ are two words as non-threatening as words can be. But put them together side by side and they have the power to haunt you for the rest of your life:

What if?

What if?

What if?

I don’t know how your love story ended but if what you felt then was true love, then it’s never too late. If it was true then, why wouldn’t it be true now? You only need the courage to follow your heart.

I don’t know what a love like Juliet’s feels like – love to leave loved ones for, love to cross oceans for… but I’d like to believe if I ever were to feel it, that I would have the courage to seize it.

And, Claire, if you didn’t, I hope one day that you will.

All my love,

Juliet 

...And as you would expect from a chick flick, this story has a very happy ending; the words ‘what if’ providing the inspiration for the story line.

'Me' and 'You'…. another two words that when combined generate a feeling completely different to when they are left alone. It conjures up images of a small little gang, comprised of only two perhaps, with a unique language and understanding, all of its own. It also suggests closeness and reciprocity. From my point of view, I am me and you and you. But from your point of view, you are me and I am you. Pretty cool, huh?

Then there are words that are powerful all on their own. Consider the words: Alive, Always, Gratitude, Kind, Choice, Free, Dream, Fly, Strong, Safe, Present, Power, Brave, Dare, Light, Dark, Life …. they are just words but they are all encompassing, on their own. When I look at these words, I imagine the font they should be written in, which describes the word visually; you can just see it can’t you?

But, undoubtedly, the greatest word of all, in any language, is LOVE. It is what we all aspire to have more of in our lives. It is what we strive for; what we search for. It is something we can never run out of and never have enough of. It has an infinite source.

The word LOVE doesn’t need embellishment; it is perfect all on its own. It has many levels and contexts built into it and can be emphasised or directed to where it is meant to go by the addition of a couple of other small words.

And in keeping with our theme of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, here is a quote to emphasise the point…. “My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, both are infinite”.

Like the story of Romeo and Juliet, there are words that are among some of the saddest in the dictionary. One such word is ‘almost’. You have to feel for the word ‘almost’ who strives to get there but for some reason always seems to fall short. He almost makes it, but sadly never does.

Just goes to show the power of words. Choose them carefully as they have the power to leave a lasting impression. Whether positive or negative…. make them meaningful and make them count at every opportunity.

“Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace” – Buddha