Words.

  I like words. I've always liked words. It's how we communicate with each other. To me, it's the pictures words paint in our hearts and minds that bring such joy or wondering or... Words can bring us information and information is the foundation for making decisions or leading us in new directions. Words can bring us new and confirming understanding... and with understanding many doors open for us. Words are never passive, they are alive. Simply... words can bring us life. 

  I do realize, though, words can wound and hurt as well. Words can also kill us, at least deeply harm our spirits. Criticism can seem like a knife, scaling us, especially when spoken by someone who doesn't know our history... And, hate-filled words, regardless of the speaker, can have a devastating influence on how we see ourselves. It really isn't true that... 'sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.' Unkind words always hurt. Another example of the power of words.

  What kind of words do you speak? Are your words life producing? Or do they bring sadness or pain? Do you speak before you think or do you weigh the implications and ramifications your words produce?  Quite honestly I believe we need to be less cavalier about what and how we say what we say. An argument can be made that words are valueless, that it's how we group words that determines the value. True. But do consider the subject - it is us and how we 'handle' words - we are the value added through the inflection in how we say what we say.

  As a consequence of all this, I have a great respect for words and never use words lightly. My goal and motivation is to communicate. And to that end, one of my favorite methods is to ask questions. I truly have never met a question I didn't like plus questions are typically value-less. They are stated, or should be, in a neutral way to encourage others to share their thoughts, ideas - their words. Questions and statements should never (my value) be stated with a no option to one's beliefs. This is a reinforcement of the comment by Voltaire:

     "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the
      death your right to say it."