I recently wrote a foreword for my friend Paul Jun‘s excellent eBook, Building an Empire with Words, which is a great little manifesto on the importance of words. Here’s what I wrote (with a few minor edits):
Your mouth is poison, your mouth is wine.
—The Civil Wars
The first time I realized the impact of my words, I was six years old. I called my mom a #@$%**. I spent the rest of the evening with a bar of soap in my mouth.
The second time I understood how powerful speech could be, I was thirteen. I told Mom she was a piece of $#!^ and that she could go straight to #*%%. I believe once again I had a healthy supper of Dove and Zest.
But the third time was, as they say, a charm. A few years after my love for four-letter words faded, I discovered the impact of the written word. And it changed my life.
I was in high school and had procrastinated my final writing assignment for senior English.
It was a book report on Rudyard Kipling’s Kim. The piece was written in three parts: book review, synopsis of the author’s life, and annotated bibliography.
I didn’t read the book. I stayed up the night before the report was due, and I cranked out all fifteen pages pretty effortlessly.
Like most of the students, I turned the project in, expecting a B. This particular teacher was renowned for never giving As.
A few weeks later, long after I had forgotten about the paper and started planning for college, I received the paper back from my teacher. It was full of red marks. I sighed, eagerly flipping to the last page, worried the grade might be much lower than a B.
Then, I saw it. In bright, red pen:
95% — A
And below that wonderful number were these words: “You really should consider a career as a professional writer or journalist.”
I was stunned. Shocked. In awe.
I flipped through the paper again and noticed many of the red marks were exclamations. “This is excellent!” and “Well done!” Of course, there were plenty of critical remarks, too. (She was an English teacher, after all.)
Later in life, whenever I felt lost and far from my destiny, I would pull out that paper, read those affirming words, and grin.
My whole life is full of words. Great words. Awful ones. All my regrets and triumphs can be traced back to something I said or did not say. I am learning — slowly and honestly — how important these pieces of language can be. Not just for communication, but life.
Now, as I finally get serious about a writing career — nearly a decade after receiving that paper back from my English teacher — I’m finding that words can be a means of living. In the past year, I’ve gotten a book deal, been published in numerous magazines, and started landing speaking gigs. All because of words.
Of course, I’ve known this all along — that words can bring life or death. For the longest time, I chose death. I gossiped and slandered and memorized dirty words. Because I thought that made me cool, made me a man.
All the while, I misunderstood something crucial to life: Words are supposed to mean something. They’re also supposed to be a means to something. And I took that for granted.
For far too long, I thought the more words I used, the better. I thought the more extreme they were, the more people would listen. Only now as I finally begin to grow up a little do I realize that with most things — especially language — less is more.
If you’re reading this, I hope you understood two important lessons:
- Your words matter — probably more than you realize.
- You have a responsibility to make them count. Don’t squander this opportunity like I did for so many years (and as some do their whole lives).
Remember: It’s not just what you say that matters, but how you say it.
Take care, be intentional, and write like you mean it.
How have you seen the impact of words in your life? Share in the comments.
*Photo credit: Craig Dennis (Creative Commons)
Science project
Grade Level: 6th to 8th; Type: Social Science
This experiment will investigate whether font choice affects peoples’ ability to remember the information that they read.
- Does font affect test subjects’ ability to remember written information?
When people read a piece of paper, does the choice of font affect their ability to remember what they read? In this experiment, you will address this question by testing participants’ abilities to recall written information.
- Test subjects
- 10 different fonts ranging from simple to complex
- Computer
- Printer
- Timer
- Notebook for recording results
- Compose a list of thirty different everyday objects (eg, scissors, hair brush, shampoo, etc…).
- Print your list with five different font styles. Make sure the size of the words are comparable between lists. Include some fonts that are bolded and some that are italicized.
- Gather 50-100 similarly aged test subjects.
- Divide your test subjects into five groups.
- Ask each group of subjects to spend two minutes studying one of the lists you created. Use a different font style with each group.
- Take the list away, and after ten minutes ask each group to write down all of the items that they can remember from the list.
- Analyze your results. For each group, what was the average number of items remembered from each list? Are there certain fonts that seem to reduce test subjects’ ability to remember the listed items? Which group performed the worst on the memory test? What font was used with that group? Which font resulted in the best performance on the memory test? Does bolding or italicizing a font appear to affect memory?
Terms/Concepts: font and memory
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This week, let’s take a minute to fully grasp the power behind the words we use. Words which we may have intended to bring great impact, or words that just slipped out in the midst of a mindless utterance. Maybe what was said was fully thought through before spoken, or maybe not. Maybe your words were carefully chosen in the middle of a loving conversation and meant to bring encouragement. Maybe your words were screamed in a fit of rage and every bit intended to be full of shame and disgust. Our words live on long after we’ve finished with them, and we often disregard the impact that they can have on others.
Our words, particularly in written form, serve as a very powerful tool when seeking a new job. Whether you are setting up a new profile on LinkedIn or describing your greatest career accomplishments on your resume, each word means something. If you really stop and think about it, there is a level of decision making that is affected with every word you write. Some hiring managers will be further intrigued by your words and continue to read on, wanting to know more about you and what you have to offer as a potential candidate. Others, however, may read a few lines of your resume or cover letter and make the decision to stop there and go on to the rest of the stack. Each word has an impact, and each word takes you one step further down the road.
The question is…do you want to continue walking down a road that leads to more dead ends and no job opportunities? Or do you want to reroute yourself and reevaluate your process so that your steps are taking you down the road toward a brighter career and a job that you will love? I think we’d all agree that the second option sounds a lot better!
This is where Platinum Resumes comes to your rescue, taking you down that preferable route that ends with a bright future. The right words can drastically improve your chances of being hired. Our years of professional experience have taught us, as Professional Resume Writers, which words to use and the appropriate manner in which to use them. Our unique resume design pairs well with an expert knack for choosing words that both represent you well and appeal to the eye of the hiring manager.
We guarantee our clients to see a 40+% increase in their job search results after working with our team. Whether you just need some help piecing together your resume or would prefer to take advantage of our entire array of services, we would be happy to meet with you and help you along in this journey. Give us a call today at 816.986.0909!
Steve Hankins2016-06-08T20:33:26-05:00
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Do you re-read your business emails?
Do you get a colleague to run through a draft report you’ve written?
As the CEO of a professional English editing company, I’ve built my business on the premise that what we write has a huge impact on our personal or company brand image. What we say evaporates into the ether, but what we write can be there – well, forever. Scary, n’est-ce-pas?
Here are the stories of three clients who impressed me hugely. Each one demonstrated they understood to what extent words have an impact on a professional or company image.
Topping the list is an Asian client from a large global IT company. He used our service to edit training materials. There was a vast amount of course material divided into modules with – and this is the striking part – hypothetical hallway conversations at the end of each module. Our trainer had written out imaginary exchanges with his colleagues because he wanted to be in a position to give a clear, correct response in English. How’s that for impact?
My second story concerns the Eastern European developers of the number one drag racing app. They sent us a mammoth task – over 22k words. We were asked to edit (what felt like) every single email they had ever sent to their clients! Why? Because they care about their hundred million app users enough to want to create a database of responses that would be easily understood by clients around the world. That’s what I call investing in customer services.
Story number three belongs to a mature female Korean student who needed to defer her place at a US university due to breast cancer treatment. She opted for our 24-hour express service and we became the middle man in email negotiations that unfurled over several days. She would send us her draft emails to the admissions officer; we would edit them overnight and then await the university’s response the following afternoon. Afterwards she wrote a message to the editor who helped her craft her responses: “I would like to express my appreciation for your help. And I want to let you know the positive outcome. Without your help, I might present myself in the wrong way.”
Each client must have assessed their return on investment. The trainer wanted to be able to hand out course materials in perfect English and ensure that he came across professionally with his colleagues. He was investing in his future in the company.
The app developers wanted to reduce misunderstanding and guarantee they could send a professional response to their users. Their investment will probably save them both time and money, not to mention keeping their clients happy.
Our mature student knew she wanted to defer rather than re-apply, thereby keeping her place and bypassing the extra expense of re-applying and possibly having to re-sit certain entrance exams. To her it was also about using the right tone of voice to present her case, thereby investing in her image with the school.
Next time you’re about to publish an article, send a report or simply respond to a client, stop for a second and assess what you’re really investing in with your words.
—
Give me more!
Don’t believe poorly written words can have consequences?
How to Avoid an Angry Email Meltdown
If you’ve already sent an angry email to your boss or colleague, don’t fret!
So Many Ways to Say ‘I’m Sorry’
Jamie Christensen
Mrs.White
English 12A
January 1, 2012
Compare and Contrast Essay
The power of the written word is incredible. Across the world and through out history, many pieces of written work have made a statement. It is crazy how a simple book, song, or speech can have such a big effect on a person(results may vary). Works can positively change one’s life for the better. Please take caution when reading powerful novels though, they may lead to as follows: paranoia, bipolar thoughts, immaturity, violence, psychotic behavior, and murderous actions. Powerful written words may include but are not limited to the Holy Bible, Martin Luther’s «I have a dream speech», Harold Camper’s prediction of the end of the world, and the novel Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.
There are many written pieces that greatly change the life of an individual in a positive way. One of the most widely spread effective written works in my opinion is the Bible. It is a very powerful book that effects very many people. Growing up as a christian I have not personally experienced the life changing effects of the Bible, but my mom has. After discussing the subject with her she has told me all of the ways that her life has changed ever since she met my dad. My dad introduced my mom to the Bible and started bringing her to church. She said at first she didn’t understand everything but after studying the Bible and taking in specific verses it had a great impact on her. While interviewing her she said, «It made me think about my life and the path I was headed down». She said that her life was not headed in a positive direction, but reading the Bible motivated her to live a better life for the glory of God. Not only do books like the Bible change a persons life, but so do speeches. Speeches have a tremendous effect on people especially when the speaker is a motivational figure. For example Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech on August 8, 1963. That day will forever be remembered because that speech effected the lives of thousands of people. It gave every American the confidence that they needed but at the same time encouraged them all to keep a nonviolent approach to ending segregation. At the end of Martin Luther King Jr’s I Have a Dream speech he said, «In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred». This had great effect on society as as a whole. Americans followed Martin Luther King Jr’s peaceful approach because they actually took to heart the words of I Have a Dream. The powerful words of Martin Luther King Jr. gave the country hope for the future and impacted the lives of many if not all Americans.
Unfortunately, not all written works are as comforting and positively influencing as the Bible and the I Have a Dream speech. In fact they influence people in the exact opposite way. For example, the end of the world «tribulation» prediction made by Harold Camping has had horrific effects on people. A few years ago a woman from California attempted to kill her two daughters along with herself to avoid experiencing the end of the world. This woman was extremely impacted by Camping’s prediction. She believed that the end of the world was coming soon according to Camping, and so she thought that it would be a better idea to kill her daughters before they could experience a horrific end. In my opinion that woman must be sick in the head because no one in their right mind would kill their children in the first place. She was negatively impacted by this prediction to an extreme and as a result she attempted both murder and suicide. Another incident involving the negative effects of written work has to deal with Mark Chapman. Mark Chapman was an obsessive Beatles fan who killed John Lennon. After killing the singer, the cops found him sitting on the ground reading The Catcher in the Rye. This book written by J.D. Salinger changed his life. He was so involved with this novel and everything that took place in it that he actually thought that he was Holden Caulfield. He truly believed that he had to get rid of John Lennon because he was «phony». Although Mark Chapman may have been mentally ill, he was immensely effected by the written piece The Catcher in the Rye to the point where he committed homicide. It is insane how far a person will go because they are effected by written word.
The Holy Bible, Martin Luther’s «I have a dream speech», Harold Camper’s prediction of the end of the world, and the novel
Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger are all powerful pieces of work. These powerful pieces of work have effected the lives of many individuals in unbelievable ways. Through examples from my mom to Mark David Chapman, written word can have immeasurable effects on people and the effects can be either detrimental or incredibly life changing in a positive way.
Works Cited
Chapter 27. Jarrett Schaefer. 2007. Peace Arch Entertainment. DVD.Christensen, Christine A. Personal interview. 1 Jan. 2012."Martin Luther King's Speech: 'I Have a Dream' - The Full Text." abcNews. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Jan.2012. <http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/martin-luther-kings-speech-dream-full-text/story?id=14358231#.TwI2DdQS3is>."Mom Tries to Kill Kids, Self, Before 'Tribulation' Comes." Videosift. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Jan. 2012.<http://videosift.com/video/Mom-Tries-to-Kill-Kids-Self-Before-Tribulation-Comes?loadcomm=1>.Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1951.