Trash and Treasure
By Wali Collins
As the saying goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Perfect examples are second-hand stores, recycling centers and pawn shops. These are places where people will benefit from the things that other people throw away.
I believe that people do the same thing with words. They tend to talk too much where their words become insulting, confusing or just plain misleading. It’s like they throw words away. And they’re “talking trash.”
I like to say, “be resourceful and find the treasures in what people say.” In general, people will make their point in their first sentence and elaborate after that. The treasure is in that first sentence. When people lie, they feel that covering the lie with a lot of words will distract from the truth. Ironically, all that trash is telling you that there’s a treasure.
The tricky one is when people give you advice. You have to listen to what they say very carefully. The trash is when people tell you about all the obstacles you will face. However, the treasures are when people use their words to be supportive and encouraging.
So let this be a lesson to you. If done correctly, what you say can be precious and valuable. So be smart and try not to litter the world with words.
Comedian Wali Collins recently published his best-selling book, The Y'NEVANO Book of Encouragements, now available in electronic format on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.