The Empowering Souls of Words

When the United States and the USSR engaged in the START II negotiations, how many of us had any idea how important and significant each and every word used would be in the dialogue between the two superpowers?

During those talks I served as a legal advisor to the negotiating team representing the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. It soon became crystal clear to me how essential it was to use words in a very careful and correct way.

I had, of course, been speaking and writing words for most of my life, but in those negotiations, the effective use of words was literally a matter of life or death.

I came to realize every word was significant and bore a crucial consequence with regard to relationships between our two countries. In fact, it was clear that our effective use of words would determine if we could live together in peace – in our world, in our own country, in our communities, in our work lives, and especially in our homes and personal lives.

On every level, and in every aspect of life, our words are powerful and can either create effective solutions to the many problems we face each day, or they can create more problems and make matters worse.

I have discovered that our words also have profound, dynamic spiritual roots and thus they have a power that I think of as their 'souls'. It follows that an increased knowledge of the deeper meaning of the souls of words will open our hearts and spirits to communicate more authentically.

There is widespread confusion due to the interpretation of many words today and many words have taken on a much different meaning or connotation from what they were originally meant to have.

For example, a misinterpretation of the meaning of the word 'competition' permeates our society. The true soul of the word 'competition' indicates that the meeting or attaining of a certain standard, in order to be called 'competent', was meant to be achieved, or come about, in conjunction with others.

This joint effort with others to become 'competent' was not for the purpose of dominating another person or persons, but to bring out each other's gifts and strengths, in a way that gives value to every contribution of each person involved. In other words, a true 'team effort' in which the special abilities of each person are recognized and honored.

One might call this the power of a ‘loving-competitive spirit', where we are encouraged to become the best we can be. When this happens, everyone 'wins', rather than focusing, as we too often do, on 'winners' and 'losers'.

We have all seen the results when the emphasis is on a distorted, negative, domineering interpretation of the word 'competition.' They include greedy and corrupt corporate practices; cheating on exams; violence erupting at sports events, war, genocide, broken and destroyed lives.

Words have the power to build when used properly, or to destroy when misused.

I now believe that by understanding the 'souls' of words we will be empowered to live and interact together with civility, creativity, and purpose.

Deepak Chopra said “The Hidden Souls of Words opens the window to the soul in order to awaken the dormant and hidden potential within us.”

My hope for you is that you will come to know the empowering souls of words and through “The Hidden Souls of Words” you will find the keys that transform your life and bring you all that you hope for.