Power In Words We Hear

I woke up this morning and decided to write on Vocal. Not exactly sure of what I wanted to write about or even what the title would be, but I took the plunge, logged in, hoping that once I started the ideas will flow. But I just don't want to write about...scratch that. I have decided this new year to be more positive minded and focus more on the things I want, or like, and the things I expect, than to focus on things I hate, dislike or don't want. So I'm going to try to talk about good things.

Every now and again my mind drifts off to other irrelevant things that don't add value to me, but I'm trying each day to live the best version of myself these days, regardless of what anyone thinks.

Over the years I've lived life caring about what others thought about me. How they see me, how they perceive my intelligence, my looks, or what they'll say after I step away from their midst and yadi, yadi, ya! (Laughing). And this self-judging monster had completely marred me from being my true self until recently.

Now I wonder, what does anyone's words or perception of me have on me? Absolutely nothing! In Nigeria we say, 'Na dem get their mouth, make them talk' - meaning their mouths belong to them, let them talk.

People can or would say anything, but how you react to what they say matters a lot in altering your character and behaviour over time. So it's important to ignore and totally shove aside opinions that don't matter to you. They are freely allowed to have their opinions of you or what you do, as you are freely allowed to have total control over what you take in or allow to affect you. It's unnecessary to be angry over a 'gossip', or a 'hear say' because you know who you are. Words.

Them: You're stupid!

Me: No, I'm not. (Smiling).

Now, if you say I'm foolish, I'll rebuff it. I don't necessarily have to be angry over that, since I know who I am and that I'm not foolish. Although, sometimes I may get upset over some things said, but one thing I'll NEVER do is be quiet and take it in. Even if I read something about me that was untrue, I'll still speak my words over it and definitely spurn it. Call me crazy if you like. I would in that very instance counter or reject any NEGATIVE words.

Words I hear are important to me. As a writer, I use words to make my inner thoughts a reality. I still remember words people have said that positively reshaped my perspective on some things in life and made me better, or words that negatively impacted me up until this day. That's how much words affect me, hence I do not allow myself to absorb negativity less it will linger in my head for a very very long time.

And I hope you too will not accept nor absorb negative words because there is power in words you hear.

See! I drifted like I said in the second paragraph, sometimes my mind just wonders off to other things, but I think this may help someone today, so it's not a waste of time.

Writing gives me pleasure, more importantly, writing freely without restrictions give me even more pleasure.

Creatively using words is like reaching orgasm to me. (Laughing). Oh yes! That's how pleasurable writing is for me. Words are the best way I bring my imaginations to reality. And knowing that one person would read it, and one person will conceive ideas from it, or be positively impacted by it is an icing on the cake.

Whenever I write poems, articles or spoken word, it's usually about my personal experiences or about people I have met on this journey called life.

Recently, about a couple of days ago, I went back to my archives to read my old poems, and found out that there's a face to each one I've written. I mean, for every poetry or spoken word I've ever written I see a particular face in my mind whenever I have to re-read it. Funny. And that face doesn't change even if I go back to read that poem 10 years after.

My point is, we get impacted by words people say to us and it creates a mental picture with their faces in it that never really goes away. If it's a bad word not even an apology changes it.

So, would you like to be the face I see when I write my happy poems? Or the face I see when I read a sad one? Be mindful of things you say, and be deliberate on the construction of your words. I'm not perfect, but I try to release more positive words daily.

I hope this article that I wasn't exactly planning to write helps someone today.