Here in New Zealand we are 10 days out from an election and there are signs dotted along the roadside urging us to vote for particular candidates or political parties. We drove into town yesterday for the first time in a while and on turning a corner we were confronted by a really huge billboard up on the hillside right in front of us. It had quite a simple message portrayed in just a few clear words and large pictures and should have been easy to read in the short time we had between sighting it and passing by on the motorway.

At the top was something along the lines of ‘the country has only two choices’. Beneath this was a large picture of two men dressed in work gear complete with hardhats and fluro vests. Each held a sign like those used to control traffic around roadworks. One said ‘Stop’ and the other said ‘Go’ in big letters. Beneath that I barely glimpsed the top of two words, one under each picture. Presumably these were the names of the two major political parties, but I couldn’t really tell because from my vantage point in a car, looking up the hill, all I could see at that point were a number of large trees which were blocking the bottom of the billboard, which kind of defeated the purpose of having it in such a prominent position in the first place!

The opportunity to make a powerful statement, with immediate impact and a compelling message was lost because part of it was obscured, so only some of the message got across. It made me think again how important words are, and why we need to be certain that we use them well to support us in living our lives with positivity, power and purpose. I’ve recently written an eBook about this called Positive Words are Powerful. This is no airy fairy feel-good book. It has a down to earth focus which aims to balance being realistic with being optimistic, with an emphasis on attitudes and actions which build resilience and hopefulness.

You can read more and buy it at my eBook store.

How does using the ‘right words’ support you in your life?

Does only having only part of the message affect your attitude and ability to make good decisions?

Do you have examples of the power of positive words in your life? 

I’m a cautious driver and prefer to drive to the conditions, fully aware of what is happening around me rather than distracted by music or talkback on the radio. Recently I wrote about the  built-in conscience in my new car. Irritating though it is to have a voice break through the quiet, it is also helpful to be warned when I am inadvertently going too fast so that I can make good decisions about how to safely act in the circumstances. So in the end it is something I appreciate.

But what happens when the voice of caution goes too far?  One little glitch with the speed alert in the car is that it can occasionally take the idea of a speed limit too far. Sometimes it thinks that a parking lot is where I am to park and nothing else, so as soon as I start the car it begins its screeching: ‘you are over the speed limit’. Well, actually I’m not. It is still safe and reasonable and responsible to drive slowly within a parking lot, and it is here that the guidance system in the vehicle has slipped over the line of caution and definitely entered the realms of fear.

Caution becomes fear when it causes us to become too scared to act – we become frozen by anxiety or indecision, overcome by imagined problems and frightening consequences that don’t actually exist. When faced with this fearful message I have a choice about what I do next.
If I take notice of the message from my car I will become ‘stuck’, completely immobilised, and afraid to leave the confines of the airport carpark. I will then be unable to participate in all that my life has to offer me. Or I can weigh up the situation and draw on my experience of parking lots and other road journeys to make an informed decision that it is safe to move on.

The wisest course is to listen to the voice of caution but not to give in to the steely voice of fear. It’s all a matter of balance.

How do you tell the difference between caution and fear?

What works best for you when deciding which course of action to follow?

How do you overcome fear and decide to move on in your life?

One of the iconic figures of the 21st century, Steve Jobs, has passed away. He has left a huge legacy, not just because of his innovative contributions to computing and communications or his philanthropy, but because of the person he was and the way he lived, with the confidence to follow his heart and be all that he could be. Relying strongly on his curiosity and intuition he lived true to his values and with a deep trust in himself and the goodness of life. What he did and all that he achieved flowed from who he was. There is no better way to be remembered.

My few words are inadequate to distil the essence of this great man. Instead, I would invite you to join the millions of others who have listened to his 2005 Stanford University Commencement Speech in which he shares some of his insights into life, love, loss, purpose and how to live until you die.

How have the words in this video touched you?
Are you living your own life or a poor copy of someone else’s?
What small thing are you going to do today that leads you in the direction of your dreams and where your heart leads?

Our new car has one feature I find a tad annoying. Occasionally a quiet voice imperiously announces ‘you are over the speed limit’. My immediate response is to shout back ‘I am not!’ But then a glance at the speedo shows that I have indeed begun to drive too fast. Not very much too fast mind you, because the voice is really like an early warning system which only allows a slight overuse of the accelerator.

My initial inclination was to turn off the irritating and slightly whiny voice and drive in peace, relying on my own judgement and vigilance. But once I thought about it I realised that it is quite useful to have a backup to nudge me in the right direction and keep me to a safe speed which is less likely to do damage to me, my valuable car, or someone else. Actually, it’s quite a clever system really, because it is linked to the GPS and automatically knows what the appropriate speed limit is in any given location, which can be handy if I’ve missed seeing a sign along the way.

I guess the little inner voice of our conscience is like that too. It gently nudges us in the direction of behaviour that is most appropriate, useful, responsible, safe and good; the one that will help us avoid damaging ourselves, others, or valuable property. It isn’t really a killjoy which tries to stop us having fun; it’s more like a guidance system that helps us to choose the right kind of actions in any situation. Our conscience is built on our own instinctive sense of good and bad / right and wrong. Added to that is the example and teaching provided by our family, peers, schooling, religion, laws, our community and our society.

Do you see your conscience as a useful inner guidance system?
How has listening to that quiet voice proved useful to you?