W.A.P.

I know some of you are probably wondering, “Is she about to talk about the actual song WAP?” You can unclutch your pearls now because the answer is “no”. I just wanted to use the acronym to get your attention. Did it work? It’s amazing how as soon as this song dropped it spread like wildfire. Everyone was talking about it, whether it was positive or negative feedback, it had people talking. The WAP I’m referring to stands for “words are powerful”. I’m sure you’ve been cautioned throughout your life about being careful what you say. Whether it was at school, home, church or out in public, your words could stir up some unwanted trouble. Why are words so powerful? It’s interesting how two people can get into a fistfight and heal physically from the altercation, but if words were exchanged it will be embedded in their minds far longer than it would take a busted lip or black eye to heal. Back in the day people would say “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”. Which has proven to be a lie especially in today’s society, as you’ve probably witnessed seeing people crying at school because someone called them ugly, fat, loser, poor or even opposition with your spouse, family member, or friend.

Words truly do cause internal damage. According to an old article in the Huffington Post, Dr. Hyder Zahed had this to say, “Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble.” I know I’ve used my words in the past to hurt people because I wanted them to feel exactly how I felt on the inside: miserable! I’ve also said things out of anger or frustration because I didn’t know how to constructively express my feelings without being offensive. The tongue is a very powerful tool and is sharper than a two-edged sword! It’s easier said than done because what triggers one person may vary from the next, but you definitely don’t want to say something that may come back to haunt you for the rest of your life!

I recently read an article called Using Words to Heal where Dr. Gabriel Roberts stated, “The words we hear, those we choose and those we choose to omit, lay the groundwork for our relationship with others, our view of ourselves and our perception of the world. Words can predispose us to like or dislike something or someone, and they can influence those things that we hold as truths. Words are intimately tied to our emotional experience and make a significant impression on us from birth.” He couldn’t be more right! Have you ever noticed yourself saying things like, “I don’t know if I will get along with this person”, “I hope they don’t say anything to offend me”, “That’s not my type of crowd”, “I don’t know if I’ll like this or that”? These words are already setting up a negative environment for you before you even give someone a chance. We have to watch what we say! Sometimes we speak things into existence that may not have ever came to past just because of our negativity! Remember, “Choose your words carefully because once they exit your mouth you can never get them back.”

Think Before You Speak by Alicia Azahar

They say there’s power in the tongue so be careful what you say,

Life or death is the wager, choose the price you want to pay,

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to think twice before you speak,

Just because your choice is silence it doesn’t make you frail or weak,

I would rather stand in silence than use my words to stir up anger,

You never know when your mouth could lead you to a trail of danger,

Walk away from that fight, allow peace to ease your mind,

But if trouble is what you seek then it won’t be hard to find,

Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words internally will cause a bruise,

So before you start to speak be clear of the words you choose,

It’s up to you to take the high road even if it causes pain,

You have a lot more to lose than you would ever have to gain.