I am not sure how many of you have seen it, or even paid attention to it if you did see it, but this quote was in a Sprite commercial a few years back. It was not that special nor was it even the real focus of the commercial...come to think of it, do commercials now ever focus on the actual product they are promoting? Either way, this quote has stuck in my head ever since the first time I had heard it come from the actors' mouth. At first I mocked it because the actor used a completely false British accent and sounded out of place. However, the more I thought about it over the years, the more it had an impact on me. I began thinking more deeply about the words in the question and took the question more seriously. Maybe this was maturity, maybe this was life having a funny way of putting things in my face that I needed to acknowledge, maybe it was just my strange way of thinking about things that don't mean much during my alone time driving to and from work. No matter what the reason, I began to take this question seriously, and still do today.
This simple quote also led me to another interesting curiosity...quotes in general. I am fascinated with quotes. I am enamored with quotes from famous athletes, actors, educators, philosophers, political figures, religious figures, etc. I used to (when I had a single room that I called "mine") decorate my classroom walls and doors with the quotes that would strike me as a theme for each new school year. I took it on as a sort of internal challenge. I still find myself ending emails that I send to my team with motivational quotes pertaining to the challenge at hand.
My newest quote, and nearest to my heart, that I have made my mantra is from Thomas Wayne (and Alfred Pennyworth)..."And why do we fall Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up." This simple, yet powerful, quote can be applied to many situations in life. I was faced with a huge personal and professional challenge toward the end of 2016. This quote helped me face the challenge head-on and overcome it at the same time. I found a great picture of the quote with the Batman logo in the background and made it my background screen on my phone. I looked at this numerous times a day and thought about constantly. By doing this, I found myself metaphorically picking myself up and getting back on track. By doing this, I reverted back to the Sprite quote and asked myself the question again. I have now found a new motivation and am ready to take on new challenges proudly and without reservation.
What is the point of this post? Take it as you will, but my intention is to prove that the words that come out of our mouths have power behind them that we may or may not have intended. Words can help us find motivation, character, meaning, laughter or focus. On the other side, words can also put stereotypes, hate, anger, and fear in the minds of others. That being said, if you are reading this post be mindful of the words that you use. You may not think much about them sometimes, but you never know who is listening and what impact they will have on that individual.
I leave you with this..."Words are, in my humble opinion, our most inexhaustible use of magic. Capable of inflicting injury, and remedying it." - Albus Dumbledore
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