The power of words
Taking responsibility for what we write
It’s easy to forget that words are powerful. Thanks to platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and here at Medium, any of us can, without even trying, share what we have to say with multitudes of people. And that carries responsibility.
I don’t have the biggest audience in the world, but I know I have a number of people who regularly read what I write. And sometimes I forget that. People take what I say seriously. They choose to listen and learn from the words I write.
It’s not that I want to put more pressure on myself by thinking incessantly about this sense of responsibility. After all, writing is hard enough already. But it does mean I want to always be careful and thoughtful in what I write and share. I don’t want to be flippant. I mustn’t mislead. And I must always seek to be truthful in what I share.
Our words can be a trigger that, for better worse, influences people’s lives in tangible ways. And I want to always try and be a voice whose words carry positivity, hopefulness, and encouragement. It’s no small task, and I know I’m far from where I want to be, but I want my words to be life-giving.
I named this space Being Human because I want to be a voice who encourages us all — myself very much included — to become the best versions of ourselves: to be fully human; to discover all that we can be and pursue that with everything we’ve got.
This is a space where I reflect upon life, share what I’m learning, all in the hope of being a better, more complete human being and, I hope, maybe helping one or two others along the way too. Sometimes, I’m more interested in how many people read or recommend what I wrote than in making sure my words are life-giving and uplifting to those who stumble on by this writing home of mine.
In writing this, I mainly want to remind myself to always be mindful of the power of words and to be wise in what I choose to share with the world.
