Monthly Column
The saying goes that “the pen is mightier than the sword.” I tend to agree. Words have an amazing power to heal, to create laughter and hope, to elevate and encourage, to praise and to inspire. They also have the ability to send a person plummeting into the depths of despair, to enrage, to embitter, to dash one’s beliefs to the very core, to create doubt and fear, and to destroy hope. How often is a word uttered only to be misunderstood? How often do we say things without thinking and then are surprised by the recipient’s reactions?
What would happen if instead of looking for the negative aspects of life, we chose to appreciate the small things that make life worth living? What would happen if we chose to walk through life with a smile on our faces rather than a scowl? And truly, what would happen if we became cheerleaders—offering words of encouragement and appreciation?
Well, here is a story that speaks loudly of the impact of words and intonation on our lives.
“A group of frogs were traveling down the road of life when two of them fell into a deep pit. All of the other frogs gathered around the pit and peered down into the hole. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the unfortunate frogs they would never get out.
These two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump out of the pit. The other frogs kept telling them to stop; that they were as good as dead. The two frogs still continued to ignore the comments and shouts of discouragement and jumped and jumped some more. Their legs soon began to grow tired and their bodies heavier. The top of the pit seemed ever so much farther out of reach; and yet they jumped again.
Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and simply gave up. He fell down and died. The other frog, however, continued to jump as hard as he could.
Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop his obvious pain and suffering and just give up and die. This frog ignored the appeals and jumped even harder. He just wouldn’t give up. He had made up his mind that he would succeed. Finally, and with a last burst of energy, he jumped out of the pit.
The other frogs looked at him in disbelief. This frog had accomplished what the other frogs surely believed to be impossible. ‘Why did you continue jumping when we told you to quit? Didn’t you hear us?’
The surviving frog looked at the others and explained to them that he was deaf. He thought that they were encouraging him the entire time.”
There truly is the power of life and death in the tongue. With one remark we have the ability to lift and inspire a person who is down to keep trying and to make it through another day. Yet, a word said in anger, hate, or animosity to someone who is already depressed, may be all that it takes to kill them.
It is amazing just how far a word or two of encouragement will travel. It can be enough to turn the tide of a sporting event when the crowd is “behind the team.” How much does it cost to say something nice to someone? The pen may be mightier than the sword and words are not simply utterances, but rather can influence the course of history.
As Cavett Robert stated, “Three billion people on the face of the earth go to bed hungry every night, but four billion people go to bed every night hungry for a simple word of encouragement and recognition.” Dare to “feed” even one person a day. You can make a positive difference in the lives of others. And you just may be pleasantly surprised at how this little act of kindness can truly make your day as well.