Your Words Your World

If you have been following me, then you may remember my fascination with words. The usage of. How people choose to express themselves through language. Never mind that communication is almost 95% nonverbal. But I am referring to how people choose to describe the world they live in. How they view themselves and their surroundings.

So the other day someone chose the word “poor” to describe the situation he was in. Of course, the majority of us would conjure up the image of the common definition of what poor means:

having little money or few possessions ; not having enough money for the basic things that people need to live properly.

But this person does not live in poverty. Not by any means. No matter how far fetched you are willing to take this. I was rather aghast that a person with such a materialistic surplus in his life would choose the word poor. So here is the full definition of poor:

lacking material possessions of, relating to, or characterized by poverty; less than adequate, small in worth, inferior in quality or value; barren, unproductive; lacking a normal or adequate supply of something specified..also exciting pity as in “you poor thing”.

Which brings me to this question. What is this person “lacking” that he would consider himself to be poor? Now that is something for him to figure out, if he ever wants to choose to live in abundance. It’s not really my problem.

But here’s the whole point about this blog. What are the words that you are choosing to describe yourself and the world you live in. Are you even aware of how you are using words and the impact they have on how you perceive your life to be? What are the things that are “lacking” in your life that you would internalize “being poor”.

From a financial and material stand point, I have far less than this person I am referring to here. But I am nowhere near poor. My life is full of abundance. I am blessed every way I look. I have chosen to open my eyes to everything that offers itself up in front of me. But most importantly, I don’t wake up in the morning with that sense of entitlement to be alive, that most people in our society have. Making demands ON life instead of bringing TO life what they want life to be. I choose to wake up in gratitude and embrace the fortune of another day granted.