Cross-words - by R. Atkinson

A great friend of mine wrote these words of encouragement. I liked them so I thought I would share them as well.

There are some words and phrases that when used are not helpful or productive. For example: ‘Whatever’, ‘I told you so’, ‘you’re always . . .’, ‘can’t’, ‘impossible’, ‘it is what it is’, ‘sweetie’, ‘obviously’, ‘you always . . . ‘, and ‘chill out’, just to name a few. These words and phrases have the ability of shutting down any true communication and create an environment of sarcasm and disrespect. The flip side to that is there are also words and phrases that are beneficial in communication. For example: ‘that makes sense’, ‘I see what you mean’, ‘thank you’, ‘we can figure this out’, ‘it is possible’, and of course one of the most important ‘I am sorry’. These words and phrases validate and show support and respect.  

When you consciously choose these positive and encouraging words and phrases, you can significantly enhance the quality of your communication and relationships. It is easy to enter a conversation with all of the dialogue pre-established in your mind. It requires a conscious effort to actually listen and discuss what others are attempting to share.