Words hurt.

Words are taken so lightly and the true impact of them are often times overlooked. We say things without thinking twice and sometimes do not recognize the consequences until it is too late.

Words are used every day, all day, to every person we encounter. It may be a simple hello to the person you pass on the sidewalk, or an hour long phone conversation with a friend. The average person uses anywhere from 7,000 to 20,000 words per day. That’s a lot that can be used for either good or harm.

We forget that words are more than just noise coming from the mouth.  They hold meaning, they hold weight. The words we say can go in one ear and out the other or they can be received and held onto for years to come. They can repeat themselves over and over again in one’s mind and either lift one up or tear one apart.

The gravity of our words is often times never recognized by the person speaking. Those receiving are the ones that determine the weight of the words spoken. It can make things quite complicated as something may be said in innocence, but taken to heart in a way that was not intended. You never know how someone may react to the words you say.

It is never easy when someone disregards another’s feelings time and time again and uses words to cut deeper and deeper intentionally or unintentionally. At first the words can be shrugged off and disregarded, but after hearing the same words over and over again, they begin to take root. Words take root and begin to replay over and over again in the mind until they begin to reach the heart.

I have always been one to sit and take it. I rarely stand up for myself as I just listen to what others have to say. There have been many times where someone has called me out on something that was not accurate, but instead of addressing the inaccuracy I just sit and agree with what the person has to say. Then, when it happens enough times I begin to believe that what the person is saying is true. By the time I actually stand up for myself, it is because it has eaten away at me to an extent that it has to be shut down.

Grudges cause people to say words that are spiteful and ill-intended. Apologies can be made, forgiveness can be claimed, but until a grudge is let go of it will always come out in words. There’s only so much a person can take. Eventually, bitterness and apathy seep in and the desire to repair the damage that led to a grudge in the first place dissipates.

In the end, we need to be more aware of the words that pass through our lips. Think long and hard about the potential good or harm that may be a result of the words that you intend to speak next. Do you want to be the reason someones leaves smiling and affirmed? Or the reason someone cannot sleep at night due to your words playing on repeat in their mind?

Just think about it.