An interesting point was made recently that the words ‘Love and Gratitude’ were, well, “yawn”. When I first heard this I was more than a little confused. Really? Love and Gratitude? Are they now considered ‘passé’, a little ‘over done’, not quite witty enough or clever enough for some of our more learned friends? Well apparently this is indeed the opinion of some.
After my initial bemusement I started to think about what this actually meant. Love is apparently just another word these days. And Gratitude? Well I’m wondering if perhaps it’s getting a little old fashioned, because now we have awesome words like ‘Funnest’ and even ‘Super Fun’, (thankfully “So hot right now” seems to have made a swift exit). Words are everywhere. But our language is evolving, and now it seems we don’t even need full sentences (LOL).
When words like Gratitude become boring I begin to wonder. Have we over used these words? Hearing “Love you, mean it” as an actual expression you do perhaps get the point.
When did real words become meaningless and meaningless words become real?
I read a beautiful piece in ‘The Four Agreements’ by Don Miguel Ruiz about being “Impeccable with your word’. He says:
“Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.”
For me it was a mammoth task when I tried it out even for a day. I ended up not saying anything because it seemed easier (yes, that was cheating) and then I promptly flew off the handle a few days later with a mountain of repressed anger. Not quite was I was going for. The point I think is that if we can’t even control what we say most of the time, and if we’re now starting to shorten our thoughts to letters, perhaps it’s time to look at those first words and see what they mean to us – now. And if we find them too simple and unimaginative, then why? I’ve been asking myself that question all day and the answers aren’t so great.
In a world where we are always looking for new maybe we don’t realize that we may have skipped some basic lessons, or at best forgotten them.
For me it’s made me return again to the notion that we have words for a reason. Words do have power, words are things, and when being reminded to be grateful isn’t as witty as we would like, then perhaps we need to stop trying to be so clever and funny and new, and go back to the start and take a lesson in just what the word Gratitude means.
Gratitude
Noun [mass noun] : the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
Now I don’t think that’s so very dull.
x Jo