The power of words.... 5 minute exercise

When do we realise we have said something we shouldn’t have? When we see somebody else’s reaction?

When do we know something we have said won’t ever be forgotten? By the shimmer in someone’s eyes when they look into yours?

When do we say sorry but realise it’s too late? By the empty expression on the other persons face?

How often do we go to say something and stop ourselves? Not often enough otherwise we wouldn’t need to say sorry.

How often do we think about how our words are going to make somebody feel? Normally once we have already said them.

How often do we take time out to tell someone we love them and how much they mean to us? We think about it but don’t normally get round to telling someone.


Words are so powerful and can have a huge impact on somebody. We use words every single day to string sentences together. Whether we say them out loud or just think them. But we don’t always think about what we say.

Take a 5 minute break and complete this simple exercise for yourself. Write down a sentence or word which somebody said to you today, which had an impact on you. Do you think they realised how that impacted on you?

Now write down a sentence or word which you said to somebody today and how you think that affected them. If you can’t think of one, ask somebody you had contact with today and see what result you get. I can nearly guarantee that you were unaware of how this affected someone.

This is just a short exercise to bring more awareness to people. Awareness to the power of the words you use and the effects they have on people. If you carry out the exercise, feel free to share your findings in the comments box below.