On The Power Of Words!
Whenever I sit down to write, the best and worst imaginable things enter my mind. The nonsense of the day; my mind’s endless distractions; stories I’ve written and continue to write.
I don’t believe so much in the value of anything as a product: a novel, a blog, a magazine, a completed leather journal growing dusty on a bookshelf. It’s the process that’s important. And yet the words themselves (or the book, or the newspaper) seemingly still needs to be written.
The intangible requires an objective form to reach, even if it never actually gets there. Any marathon runner or musician or gymnast will tell you the same thing: the journey is the destination. And yet without a clear destination, the ‘journey’ part can be misguided, confused or at least a little more chaotic than is necessary.
Words carry with them a sense of immortality; as if by being written on a page they exist forever. In the case of the Bible and other Religious texts, words literally do stand the test of time, though admittedly with many alterations in meaning and literal translation over the centuries.
The Power Of Words
The power of words is that they are concrete, actionable and accessible in every moment. All one needs is a voice or a pen (or a finger in the sand) and intentions can be set, dreams envisioned and actions boldly carried out!
So let’s see how exactly this might play out:
Words as Stories
Words inherently create the reality of which we live inside. Spanish people think about, dream about, experience, enjoy and mourn that thing called Love differently to how English or Chinese or South African people do.
‘Quiero’ for example means ‘I Want You’ but also ‘I Love You’ (one of many ways of expressing love in Spanish.
Other languages understand the word Love as being the same in both Family and Romantic contexts; and still other communities and tribes do not differentiate between Love for one or Love for all; Love for people or Love for animals; Love for a person or Love for a planet etc etc.
Without consciously realising it, the words we choose to use, to speak or to write are influencing our daily lives in subtle but powerful ways.
Words as Images
It has been said that Poetry is the ‘mockery of words’. I am inclined to agree. When you read certain poets, such as Pablo Neruda or E. E Cummings for example, you realise that it is much less about the words themselves and much MORE about the imagery created by them.
‘Blue Moon’, for example, implies something far beyond a particular rock of a particular colour. It suggests theatre, emotion, mood, drama; a whole charismatic scene in just 2 words.
The same might also be said for ‘Whistling Wind’, ‘Bruised Peaches’ or ‘Pink Lipstick’.
Say them many times and give yourself a moment to ‘feel’ the effect these phrases have on you, physically and emotionally…
Is it the physical movement of the mouth that’s important? Our memories attached to certain objects and colours? The way our breathe adjusts to make the sounds?
I expect it’s a little bit of everything all rolled into one. Language is a great mystery after all; one of the greatest mysteries in the world.
Words As Actions
Action has a strong relationship with the first 2 utilities of words (as Stories and Images). Once a story has been made, and an image created, action usually follows. Of course it can work the other way round also - behaviour is first carried out and the image and/or story follows…
Countless Sport Psychologists, Neuroscientists, Therapists and Life Coaches talk about the power of making clear written intentions, as well as ‘self-talk’ and ‘journalling’ as a daily practice.
Their message is clear: if you want to MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN, first write it down, then imagine yourself doing it, and lastly tell others that you are GOING to do it.
In this way we make ourselves accountable for our words; turning them effectively into lived behaviours and experiences.
Personally, I find the TO-DO LIST a fantastic (and hugely underrated) tool in this respect. Sometimes I write the list even after I’ve completed it. Just simply recognising the ‘words’ that I’ve made happen makes the action more concrete and helps my mind to truly ‘Tick’ it off the list.
After all, putting a pen to paper I feel is a very lived and tangible version of what the Mind is trying to do all of the time anyway…
Andrew Huberman is a Neuroscientist from Stanford University. He does a wonderful job of translating Academic Research findings into clear, digestable advice for wider society. One of the things he most often emphasises is the POWER of changing one’s physical habits and behaviours, day by day, over a long period of time. Writing as a daily practice is surely no exception.
What The Sufis Showed Me…
I was once at a live Sufi singing circle in Pune, India. The songs the musicians played had been written, translated, re-interpreted, sung, been made into theatre plays and modern performances a zillion times over already; and yet here the locals were again listening in, mesmerised by every word, every note, and every silence.
Within 15 minutes at least half of the group were brought to tears by the kind truths inherent in the songs’ lyrics:
How did the rose ever open it’s heart
and give to this world all its beauty?
It felt the encouragement of light against its being.
Otherwise we all remain too frightened.
It was not that these ideas or ‘philosophies’ were new or revealing to the audience (they’d heard this exact poem and hundreds just like it dozens of times over), but it was the WAY the words were sung, and the INTENTION behind them, as well as the words themselves.
Such lyrics sound deeply poetic and rhythmical in the traditional Urdu (Persian) language, especially when combined with instruments in a cosy, ritual setting. Yet every individual had his or her own imaginative and storied process throughout the evening also. And I dare say they even behaved differently afterwards; perhaps finding more time and energy for friends and loved ones, or creating a healthier routine for themselves throughout the week.
Who knows. But it was a magical evening of gifted Wordsmiths nonetheless.
Singing circles can be a wonderful way to tap into your voice, without needing to be alone on stage or having to memorise lots of lyrics either. Most Sufi songs repeat the same few lines over and over again; giving one the chance to ‘lose the task’ of singing by ‘using the task’ of singing, slowly over time.
Finding Your Power!
So how might one find the ‘poet’ or ‘profound public speaker’ inside of him or her self?
Here’s 3 somewhat unusual ways that you can further develop your ‘word practice:
1) Read ‘Unrhyming’ poetry: Poets like Pablo Neruda and Charles Bukowski are 2 of my favourite unrhyming poets, for example. The power of ‘no rhyme’ is that it allows us to find the subtleties of words hidden beneath the cheesier (and easier) norms of rhyming couplets. Some words ‘feel’ good together for no apparent reason, just as some flow from each other better than others. Practice reading (and in turn writing) in such ways.
2) Find Your Natural Vocal Range: It might sound like an overly kind (or hippie) thing to say, but I truly believe that EVERYONE CAN SING! Apart from being shy (or terrified!) of singing in front of others, most people try to sing to SOUND GOOD, which means they attempt to do so in others’ ranges instead of their own. Find notes that feel super easy and comfortable, and an artist (if possible) that seems to sing in the same range. If it’s grossly low or embarrassingly high, who cares?! Get used to singing comfortably purely for the sake of it, and see how your singing (and speaking) practice might develop from there.
3) Practice Euphemisms: A euphemism is a simple, short ‘quote’ or philosophy that declares a truth about a certain subject. Of course, all such ideas are subjective but the attempt to make a complex theme very clear and tangible is a powerful practice! Not being afraid to make conclusions and truths is the first step towards dropping our ideas and starting all over again, and the act of limiting our word count also teaches us discipline and punctuality with how we go about doing things; not just with words but in daily life also.
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