THEY’LL TELL YOU THEY LOVE YOU. THEY’LL TELL YOU THEY HATE YOU. THEY’LL EVEN TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR, THEN TURN AROUND AND TELL SOMEONE ELSE WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR.

It’s true. It really is. All of it. Every word of it.

Words have a way of playing with someone’s mind. Words can change everything in an instant. Try telling someone you love, that you aren’t “in love” with them any longer. Try telling your employer that you’re moving on to bigger and better things. Try telling yourself that everything you do, is for you, and not them. I’ve done all of these within the past year.

And they were all hard. It wasn’t easy. It still isn’t. Words can elicit something so powerful, that it’s among the most potent weapons in the world. Why? Because you can’t take back what is spoken. Once you say something to someone, that’s it. There is no going back. This can be really good, or really bad.

I’ll never forget the words that were said in all of my biggest moments in life. Just in sticking with the past year, I’ll never forget the emotions that we had over me saying something. Whether it was a few sentences, or spilling my heart out, I knew the ramifications. I was scared. I was nervous. I was even a little excited, because I knew what was ahead of me. All I had to do, to get ahead, was to speak. To use my words. Something that can seem so simple, just speaking. Talking. Fear of saying what needs to be said can also lead to inaction.

So many people in the world keep things bottled up. So many go to bed leaving their feelings trapped, afraid to speak, for fear of rejection, or for fear of being accepted, and then really making hard decisions. Lives can change in an instant, and using your words, you know that.

Think before you speak: The power behind words.

That was going to be my original title. Then, I wanted to delve a little deeper and see what kind of reactions I could get from people. It’s easy to describe yourself, in a positive light, no less. Seems easy enough. But, to ask strangers, well known friends, family, anyone who would read what I had put out there in the world, now that would be interesting. I asked everyone on my social media (Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat) to describe me with one word. It could be positive or negative, whatever their heart or mouth desired.

I left myself in a very vulnerable state. I was subjecting myself to quite possibly a lot of heat. What if everyone had something negative to say? What if people only saw me in a serious way? What if I was just a joke? But… what if they didn’t? What if they only saw good? What if every response was positive? Well, the answers varied, and this is what I received:

Bald. Childlike. Real. Adventurous. Goal Driven. Success. Poker. Persistent. Energized. Gambler.

Ten responses. 10 out of about, 500 different people, let’s say. Ok, percentage wise, not that great. Perhaps no words being posted spoke to me louder than those that did respond. Think about that. How powerful is that? Nothing being said at all. 98% of the people I am friends with or know, decided not to respond. You know what? I’m not that important. I’m not famous. I don’t pretend to be. Did I expect more? Certainly. Consider myself humbled. I need to reach more people. I need to engage and give people a reason to care. Two lessons with one question. Score.

The responses I did receive, however, were mostly positive. At least, in my mind, that’s how I took them. The responses gave me a chance to see how I am truly viewed by people I interact with. Some on a daily basis, others not as much. They had a chance to say anything they wanted about me, and chose what they did. They must have thought about what they were going to say. They must have known the impact it would have, not only on myself, but on the attention they would receive also.

My sister mentioned the first two, BALD and CHILDLIKE. I laughed at those. A man I have only met once in my life and follow on Facebook, told me I was REAL. That one hit me nicely. Someone I have met only once, thought enough of me to say I was real. That’s a high compliment, in my opinion. Real respect my man, I appreciate you.

A few other ones were from friends that I have known for over a decade, if not two decades: GOAL DRIVEN. ADVENTUROUS. SUCCESS. PERSISTENT. They surely know where I have been in this life, the things I have done (and not done) in order to get to where I am now. Again, humility. I appreciate them.

Rounding out the poker player in me and all around bettor in just about anything, came the words themselves, POKER, and GAMBLER, respectively. Poker is an extreme passion of mine, so of course I loved that one.

And then, from someone I have never met in person, but probably communicate with on a daily basis, ENERGETIC. I think that’s a good one too. I don’t need much sleep, and through my job (funeral director), I don’t always get the required 8 hours a night, but I always find time to do something. Energy is necessary at times. Better to be energetic than lethargic! Thanks bro.

After all is said and done, I could be wrong, too. Maybe they meant a little bit more or a little bit less than what I just described. Maybe I was dead on. But you can see, from the answers I was given, in how it can play with someone’s mind. Words can play with you. Words have the power to destroy, or empower. Words with friends, or even strangers, can make you think. And think. And think, until you write an article about it.

You see, one of the most tried and true sayings is still relevant today: Think before you speak. As I mentioned earlier, as the power behind what is said, can have an everlasting effect on this world. So, before I take my leave, I ask you once more, in the comments below, to describe me, in one word. The choice is yours.