The power of a W-O-R-D

“Words are Pregnant!” Yes, do not be puzzled, that’s what I heard, and do believe after observing.

It was when I was getting ready to move to office, that I saw this preacher Bishop TD Jakes, uttering those words, and here’s the complete text…

“Words are pregnant,” he said, “They carry life within them. When you say something, it gets planted in someone’s conscience (just like a seed thrown on the ground). It gets planted and takes root, grows up and becomes a full grown tree bearing fruit it's kind.”

Remarkable! But, what does it mean? Take an example of a school teacher and student. If the teacher is displeased with student’s performance and starts scolding him, lets say, she calls him “Useless”, or “Dumbo”. Now, that word has got planted in his conscience that his teacher perceives him as a ‘Useless’ student in the class. Depending on the student’s psyche, he may either hear it and get it out of his head, or keep it within, and validate it every time he interacts with someone that most would find him useless.

This thought process may hinder him to explore new ideas ,as he’s under constant fear of making a mistake and of being perceived ‘useless’. The reinforcement of the thought only makes it worse.

Yes, now there are questions…
Q1: The student should understand the spirit in which the comment was made.
A: Well, many things ‘should’ be like they ‘should’ be, but not all are. The world is not in pure black and white; as the cliché goes, there are (too many) of gray. And so, not everyone thinks only positively and not everyone things absolute negatively.

Eventually, the student, if he takes the comment in a positive way, he shall work to overcome his weakness. Or, the student may dwell in those words of condemnation, and eventually become actually an useless being.

Q2. Is that all?
A: No, that isn’t all. There’s the responsibility of the teacher, or speaker. People who are in influential positions, whether or not by virtue of authority must be very mindful of the words they speak.

But, why? It is their influence which doubles the volume of impact in either creating positivity or negativity out of their their words.

The point of discussion about the power of words is because of the manner in which we might take each other for granted. We don’t question when we need to, nor do we appreciate when it is required. And our pregnant words do not deliver. And when issues accumulate, we hurt each other with our words not knowing what the baby is going to be - good or bad, kindness or hatred, positivity or negativity?

Next time you’re about to say something that matters, just remember that your words are pregnant.