Morgan’s Message
N
ever underestimate the power of the spoken
word. I’m not talking about perfect grammar or
diction (though that’s important). I’m talking
about your power to change those around you, shape your
reality, or take a dump on someone’s day.
We’ve all hurt a friend or co-worker with something we’ve
said and we’ve all been hurt by another. It’s impossible to
take nothing personally. Words that attack others mask
our own inadequacy or pain. We use them to build barriers
between your troubles and those who will tolerate us. We
combine dismissive body language with a vicious language
to let someone know we’re absolutely unable to deal with
something in a courteous way. You’re tired and impatient.
You’re also forgetting that people rarely perceive you based
on a perfect average of their interactions with you. It more
often comes down to the most abrasive thing you’ve said to
them: That time you lost your cool. The time our emotions
got the best of us and we hurt someone.
Morgan Davis
President and Executive Director
Student Association of St. Lawrence College
(Kingston Campus)
We’ve built someone up before, too. We’ve helped build
confidence and helped someone really get it. One of the most
powerful things we can do as a friend, a leader and a person
is to help someone understand.
• Understand what they’re trying to learn.
• Understand you.
• Understand themselves.
Words are magic; some of the only real magic in the world.
It’s your choice how you use it. You can mislead and
misdirect with lies, rumours, and harsh criticism or you
can inspire, uplift and empower with honesty, empathy,
and a commitment to each other. That’s a commitment to
patience. It’s a commitment to your feelings and judgment;
to not react with raw emotion. It’s about your commitment
to working through interpersonal challenges instead of
creating them.
You’ve got one chance to create a lasting positive impression
on someone; one chance to make that person feel welcome.
Try making your world a nicer place for everyone in it with a
few nice, meaningful words. Watch what happens. ■
www.SAvoiceSLC.com | Student Association of St. Lawrence College
April 2014 SA Voice 3