The right words always come through

 ‘Words carry weight’, ‘Words make the difference’, ‘Mind your words’. Finely crafted words can heal, thrill, move a person to tears and revolve in one’s head in dreams. The power of words, if harnessed properly can give us multiple benefits in daily life.

A columnist wants to make sure that readers don’t sneer at his points, a coach wants to motivate his team better, and even the common man wishes that his talks hold water. All these possibilities can be explored in one way- by harnessing the power of words.

Using the right words can propel you a long way towards success. In a conversation just changing a few words can make your point clearer. Powerful words are also simple words. Simple and well-known words make a powerful impact because they are easy to comprehend and convey meaning effortlessly.

We have seen prominent thought leaders use the words effectively to create an impact among the masses. In public speaking, the choice of words has always been invaluable.

In a prominent speech delivered during his presidential campaign, Barack Obama used three words “Yes, we can!” to sway the audience. He proudly declared that the three words will ring from coast to coast. Indeed the three words resonated so well that the speech made it to the most popular list. He not only instilled hope through these words but also persuaded the masses of a collective resurgence.

Martin Luther King delivered a famous speech called “I have a dream” that has powerful words. The word ‘dream’ is used here to stimulate a visual metaphor that is attached to hope and betterment.  Speaking for equality and emancipation, Martin Luther King emphasized the visualization of a better future that he had thought of and elaborated on his dream.

Swami Vivekananda, among his many speeches and quotes, frequently used powerful words to deliver his message. One of his messages “Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached!” is an ideal example of simple words used effectively. Here he emphasized action and persistence to succeed in life. Direct speeches like this make a tremendous impact and secure a place in public memory.

You will probably find that words that have a visual stimulus or words that evoke direct action have a much higher prospect of being effective. It involves a little more thinking while speaking to use the most effective words for a particular purpose. It is useful to develop a habit of analyzing content that you come across as effective and notice the words that have been used. This habit may lead you to an understanding of what works and what doesn’t. We should be experimental with words and try to find out what expression fits our purpose. It’s just when we strike upon the right words, the expression comes up as lively and we know ourselves that it works well.

Sometimes a message fails to create an impact simply because it doesn’t have the right anchors. But we can always be more thoughtful of our expressions.  It will be the first step towards bringing some changes in our lives as well as in the lives of others.