Words matter. Words can hurt. Words can harm. Words can offend. Words can encourage. Words can inspire. Words can motivate.
I learned two new words this week. Paradigm: noun, a typical example of a pattern of something. And. Soliloquy: noun, an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself regardless of any hearers."They" say, you are never too old to learn.
We learn
something, however small, every single day. Learning can come from an old friend
or a new friend. That is what communication is for, to make conversation.
Conversations can be long, as in talking, or a related email; or they can be as
short as a text on a phone. It is how you word them that makes the difference.
Conversations are a matter of interpretation.
I don't talk on the phone much, my
conversations are mostly texts or emails (long and short ones). The reason: the
recipients of my conversations are either too busy to stop and talk, have busy
family lives, or work and can't take breaks just whenever. Therefore, texts are
mostly short and to the point, and can be read at the convenience of the
receiver. Just be careful; some texts are not always considered conversational.
A related event or circumstance sent as a text can sometimes be categorized as a
soliloquy. Therefore, the modern version of 'one's thoughts aloud' alone can
also now be 'thoughts typed' and shared.
A paradigm is a routine, a way of doing
things, when done over and over form a pattern of being or conduct. A person may
not even know they have a pattern for a certain thing. For example, if you brush
your teeth the same way every day, that's a paradigm. A person can do the same
thing, day in and day out, over and over, and not realize it is a pattern of
conduct. It is just them, being themselves, how they have been for years. It
might have been called a habit. Some people are creatures of habit. For example,
"I am just me, and this is how I do it" syndrome.
You should not have to change
for another person, or they for you. People should be accepted for who and what
they are, like them, love them, or not. We have choices. Improvements in oneself
are good, but a total transformation is hard. Sometimes, even the smallest
change is hard, if it concerns behaviors.
If a person falls on hard times,
he/she might have to reinvent themselves to rise above it, or fix the problem
encountered. I have had many ups and downs in my life, and each one called for
reinventing myself to establish new goals, accomplish new things, change
patterns. For example, after a divorce or family death, or joblessness, or
poverty. I have been through all of those.
I worked for over 50 years, lost
family, lost jobs, lost possessions, and was struggling to make ends meet. If
you fall, you must rise again, to live another day.
My motto, just be yourself,
be the best you can be, try and try again if necessary. But keep going, look
forward, not backward. You can't change the past, but you can make a new future.
Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just be happy with where you are and
thankful for what you have. God will provide. God will protect.
