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?
