Words...

Today I had to do some thinking about the power of words and how they can define your character. It makes me take a look at myself and the words I use as a person, as a mother, as a teacher. Am I proud of the person that I convey...Does the character I show reflect the character I want to show or am I thinking one thing and showing another?

In this year of chaos at work and my own personal journey, deciding how my words are reflecting my own character weighs heavily on my mind. I want to be proud of who people see...for them to look and say my word is good.

I don't always do a great job..I am human. I get frustrated. Sometimes I see injustice and respond.

I work in a job where words sometimes have more power than in the average career. We have the power to lay the foundation for a lifetime...how a student feels about their ability to learn, whether they are capable, how they can begin to see themselves in their own future. Am I one that supports those dreams or doesn't? What is my character? Who am I to my students, their parents, my co-workers? Others words can also have a powerful impact...how we, as teachers, feel about our job, our ability to reach students, reach one another.

Words, once spoken, cannot be taken back. They are out there in the universe for all to see. I think about this carefully, knowing that my own words may have a powerful and unintended impact, or maybe, depending on the words, the exact impact desired.

The saying, "My word is my bond," has historical reference, meaning that one can count that what said is true. I strive for this completeness...I strive to have my word my bond, this bond to reflect my character in a positive way, which leads to the fulfillment of my destiny.

Where this is...I am not sure, but I do know that today, I am on the path and I understand the power of words...