 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Warrior Work
Week 36
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Tao of Words
By Peter Hill
“Words -- so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good
and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.”
-- Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804 - 1864)
“You can return the sword from where it came but not the blood from where it cut.”
Samurai Maxim
One of the many challenges we face on a daily basis is finding our voice and being heard. Unfortunately, we often speak and write without thinking
about our intent and yet are words, just like arrows, are shooting toward a goal or target regardless of how conscious we are at the time. Have you
ever said something and as soon as the words left your lips and hit the person or group in front of you, their impact whip lashed back into you and
you wished you could have taken them back? John Kerry experienced that with his remark linking uneducated people with military service and those
few simple words resonated around the country and world perhaps even derailing his ability to make a comeback in the next presidential race. When
we say an unkind word to a friend and the hurt on their face tells us the relationship has changed forever, we can’t take that word back or the pain it
has inflicted. Our words bring light to our intentions and what is in our heart. Learning to speak with willful conscious intentional words is a great
challenge for parents, teachers, friends and everyone in the educational process. Affirming your intent or goals when you speak is a powerful skill
and helps to assert what you and the group you are engaged with are trying to achieve. Here are some questions and affirmations that will help you
be more conscious of your words and intentions and the words and intentions of those around you:
“What is your goal in saying that?”
“Before I speak, I will affirm my goal or have my intent clear in my mind”
“The intent of this exercise is what?”
“Why are you saying that?”
“And your point is……?”
“What is your purpose in telling me this?”
“I will be impeccable with my words!”
When people say, “I don’t know why I said that!”, they are confused and often speak to release tension or pressure, draw attention to themselves,
avoid being on task because they feel inadequate or unable to succeed, or are attempting to asset their individuality and power through willful semi-
conscious disruptive behaviors. Questioning brings light to their choices and helps them to learn to take ownership of their words and choices and
helps them take responsibility for who they are and what they are creating within themselves and their environment. It also assists them in making
better choices that they can feel better about and helps to cultivate positive relationships in all areas of their life. Communicating clearly with words,
both spoken and written, is essential to building healthy and happy classrooms, schools, families and communities. Take the challenge to make willful,
conscious intentional choices when you speak, write and act! We will all be the better for it.
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Ghandi
By Peter Hill, Copyright 2009
www.getittogether.net
www.worldtaichi.com
Warrior Week Home >>
Week 36
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Tao of Words
By Peter Hill
“Words -- so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good
and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.”
-- Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804 - 1864)
“You can return the sword from where it came but not the blood from where it cut.”
Samurai Maxim
One of the many challenges we face on a daily basis is finding our voice and being heard. Unfortunately, we often speak and write without thinking
about our intent and yet are words, just like arrows, are shooting toward a goal or target regardless of how conscious we are at the time. Have you
ever said something and as soon as the words left your lips and hit the person or group in front of you, their impact whip lashed back into you and
you wished you could have taken them back? John Kerry experienced that with his remark linking uneducated people with military service and those
few simple words resonated around the country and world perhaps even derailing his ability to make a comeback in the next presidential race. When
we say an unkind word to a friend and the hurt on their face tells us the relationship has changed forever, we can’t take that word back or the pain it
has inflicted. Our words bring light to our intentions and what is in our heart. Learning to speak with willful conscious intentional words is a great
challenge for parents, teachers, friends and everyone in the educational process. Affirming your intent or goals when you speak is a powerful skill
and helps to assert what you and the group you are engaged with are trying to achieve. Here are some questions and affirmations that will help you
be more conscious of your words and intentions and the words and intentions of those around you:
“What is your goal in saying that?”
“Before I speak, I will affirm my goal or have my intent clear in my mind”
“The intent of this exercise is what?”
“Why are you saying that?”
“And your point is……?”
“What is your purpose in telling me this?”
“I will be impeccable with my words!”
When people say, “I don’t know why I said that!”, they are confused and often speak to release tension or pressure, draw attention to themselves,
avoid being on task because they feel inadequate or unable to succeed, or are attempting to asset their individuality and power through willful semi-
conscious disruptive behaviors. Questioning brings light to their choices and helps them to learn to take ownership of their words and choices and
helps them take responsibility for who they are and what they are creating within themselves and their environment. It also assists them in making
better choices that they can feel better about and helps to cultivate positive relationships in all areas of their life. Communicating clearly with words,
both spoken and written, is essential to building healthy and happy classrooms, schools, families and communities. Take the challenge to make willful,
conscious intentional choices when you speak, write and act! We will all be the better for it.
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Ghandi
By Peter Hill, Copyright 2009
www.getittogether.net
www.worldtaichi.com
Warrior Week Home >>