The power of a spoken word

I am a firm believer in the power of words and the right words spoken at the right time can shape a person’s life or future. I have to agree with Ms Oprah when she says that for every one of us that succeeds, it is because there is somebody there to show us the way. We all need heroes in our lives and we can all be heroes at some point in our lives. My mother fell pregnant when she was still in high school she went and got married without completing her high school. When things did not work out she decided to walk away, my grandparents welcomed her home and giving her an ultimatum to go back to complete her matric. In my mother’s words she says that her mother simply put it like this “I will not stay with anyone who does not have a matric.” She also went on to complete a diploma in Nursing while grandmother took care of my brother and I. My grandmother is her hero; my mother is a Professional Nurse and enjoys the fruits of having and education and independence today. 

I love my grandmother; she is probably one of the most influential people in my life.  When I look at my life today there is lot of inspiration I draw from her, in my career, my life as mother, an entrepreneur and a writer “wannabe.” A few years ago while visit my grandparents, we were sitting at their favourite place, which is the patio in front of the house I grew up in. My grandfather was busy talking to us about work in the corporate world and my grandmother turn around and asked what is it that my grandchild does for a living? My aunt answered confidently and said she is in IT. My grandmother’s responds brought such deep sited mixed feelings of shame and relief. She said what is that? That is not what my grandchild use to like and dream about growing up, I know my grandchild’s aspirations and I remember all those posters of people who she use to admire. I could not even look her in the eyes or even get myself to come up with an explanation of why I never followed my childhood dreams. 

At that point in my life I was really trying to convince myself that I am in the right career, trying my best to silent that voice within me that kept nagging. The truth is my grandmother always believed that I was smart, the tone of her voice when she spoke to me when I was young made me believe that I could be anything I wanted to be. Her face would light up when she spoke to me or checked my school work. She always expected the best from me. The conversation on that patio with my grandmother went on to ignite a fire that had long died out. It gave me the courage to want to follow my purpose no matter how ridiculers it may sound.

You see I love story behind the story because that is when you will learn the power of words, how the right words spoken at the right time can bring life to a dead situation or light a path for someone who is trying to find a way. Every single successful person has a story to tell, of how something someone said or did, gave them hope or helped them figured out what they wanted to be. Take for instance Ms Oprah Winfrey; I am not talking about the fame, fortune and the influence. I am talking about a story that she tells over and over about when she was starting out in her career and after she had been on her first movie role on the Colour Purple where she was casted by Quincy Jones. She tells a story of how Quincy Jones said to her baby girl your future is so bright it is blinding. Those words carried her through and she has seen them come to life. 30 years the words have manifested in ways she could have never imagined.

As we travel in our journey called life we all get lost and there is nothing more comforting than kind words spoken or deeds that help us find our way. Something said when we have lost confident that makes remind us that there is someone who still believes in me, and takes my hand this is the way back to your true calling.  I was really touched by the story behind the song “I Look to you” in Whitney Houston’s last album. R Kelly wrote it for her twelve years ago and when he presented it she passed on it. R Kelly kept it for Whitney. When the time was right for the particular song in her life she recorded and included it in her final album. That is a beautiful story of believing in someone and being their hope when hope is gone. 

I am grateful to everyone who believed me and who saw my potential. I am where I am, and what I am not only because I believed in myself but also because someone else believed in me and their words or deeds paved a way for me.  I challenge you to do a self-introspection and make a list of people that have touched your life with their words or deeds, a list of people who have planted a seed in your heart, inspiring you to want more, to be more, who have opened that door for you, no matter how small it was, might be your mother, grandmother, teacher or a neighbour. Go out there give back to life intentionally by being what those people were to you to someone else. You will never know whose life you might change or whose lamp you might light!