Spice of Life: Words can make or break, use the power mindfully
There was also a time when my vocabulary never remained dotted with such words. They instead exuded negativity. But a lot has changed, though slowly, as the mind changed, through my long solo trips and ‘practical’ connection with spirituality, writes Rameshinder Singh Sandhu
“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” This is the perfect conclusion by English novelist Rudyard Kipling. During a recent evening walk, I began to count the words my tongue commonly rolls out and they made me feel good. The list was long: Life, mind, soul, inner beauty, heart, opportunity, exposure, experience, richness, warmth, evolve, beautiful, vibes, blessings, spirituality and maybe some more, which keep sprouting during my everyday conversations. There was also a time when my vocabulary never remained dotted with such words. They instead exuded negativity. But a lot has changed, though slowly, as the mind changed, through my long solo trips and ‘practical’ connection with spirituality.
Wherever we are, there are tongues around which get known for using certain words. My ears know the first dialogues and the tone of my relatives, neighbours and friends. When I am in the old part of my hometown, I have often noticed how shopkeepers address their customers, using words like ‘Shahji’, ‘Maharaji’, ‘Ustadji’ and even ‘Pehalwan’. Whenever I am in the village, I often hear the word ‘Bau’, symbolising love and respect. During my travels abroad, I have come across ‘Honey’, ‘Sweetheart’ and ‘Darling’ even from strangers, including museum guides and sales persons.
There are also those whose words are steeped in sadness, like two of my neighbours. One of them owns a bakery and the other is in the police. Almost every evening, they can be heard complaining about something from their day. Their faces too depict sadness even while their tongues are at rest. Maybe they can be reminded that ‘every day may not be good but there must be something good in every day’ which could eventually bring some good words to their tongue.
Some people keep rolling out abusive words even when they are calm, such is their addiction. On the other hand, there are those whose words shine with positivity and politeness, like the owner of a dairy shop near home. ‘Aayo ji’ is his pet welcome phrase with a smile. That’s also his open secret for attracting customers.
It’s amusing and irritating at the same time when I hear many parroting dialogues for different stages in life. Entertain yourself by translating them in Punjabi: I have seen 36 individuals like you (36 seems the favourite number). Has he ever seen his face? You will get everything according to your destiny. It is the play of karma. I don’t even have the time to breathe and some don’t think twice before asking others ‘to eat poison!’. What bothers me is that most of us don’t even pause to question such dialogues. Don’t you think it’s our habit and attitude towards life that creates our destiny? We all can make our habits and attitude beautiful, if we want to.
Every word we use and the topic we pick has a direct influence on every cell of the body, which forms the status of our health, also proved by many studies. Imagine the goodness we experience inside as we praise someone and how disturbed we feel when we scold others. It all begins with the mind. How we view the world around creates thoughts and they birth the words we speak. Words carry emotions and they make us feel accordingly. Each one of us has the power within to make the mind beautiful. If the mind is beautiful, life is beautiful. So, why not help ourselves?
The writer is an Amritsar-based freelance contributor and can be reached rameshinder.sandhu@gmail.com.