You have my word… I give you my word… May I have a word?
He is a man of his word… My word is my bond… Do I have your word?
Word… Word up! … What’s the word?
In the beginning was the Word.
Long before any of these phrases existed, word meant more than sound. It came from an ancient root meaning to speak, to name, to promise — as if speaking and binding oneself were the same act. Across cultures, a word wasn’t just communication; it was creation, identity, intention made audible. To speak something was to set it in motion.
If all things were spoken into existence, then you are a word —
a word capable of creating words.
Words of knowledge and wisdom.
Words of stupidity and ignorance.
Words of order and life.
Words of chaos and death.
There is power in words as they become manifest in reality.
I learned this firsthand in college. I dated someone for a short while who was deeply negative. He constantly spoke of what others had and what he didn’t have. He felt sorry for himself but made no effort to change his situation. After a while, I found myself feeling depressed all the time. I was lethargic, tired, and unmotivated. I’m normally an upbeat person, and I couldn’t understand the change in me.
Then common sense struck me on the head and allowed me to see what was happening: I had become the victim of someone else’s negative energy. His constant words of self‑pity and loathing for humanity had seeped into my own spirit and altered my vibrational makeup. And once I recognized it, I knew exactly what I had to do.
Separating myself from his toxic world gave me the space to put my own world back together. But I also learned something from that experience. We must be diligent about the words we allow to surround us. We must not willingly expose ourselves to conversations that are out of alignment with the vision we hold for our lives. Instead, we must seek out those who speak words that encourage, uplift, and empower us to move in the right direction.
As writers, we have the opportunity — and the responsibility — to use our gift to strengthen others in their own pursuits. I take that responsibility seriously. So I will endeavor to wield my words with care, writing with honesty, integrity, sincerity, and sensitivity.
This is my promise… you have my word.
And perhaps that is where everything begins —
not with grand gestures or flawless plans,
but with a single word spoken with intention.
In the beginning was the Word.
And today, the word is you.
What experience have you had where someone’s words affected you, either positively or negatively? I’d like to hear about it.