You are how you speak...

People, reading between the lines does not mean reading those stretches of blank paper between words printed on a page. No, reading between the lines mean a reader goes beyond the surface meaning of the words. Like an onion, the intentions of an author or writer, have to be peeled away, deciphered layer by layer.

Without understanding the intentions of an author, it is impossible to understand what the author is trying to say. I've seen a young girl who put on a T-shirt with the motto "Chick Rule!" printed below a picture of a baby chicken.

Not knowing how to read the shirt properly, which in this case involves understanding the pun on the word "chick", another boy strode along and asked why she likes chicken so much. The girl answered, "I don't really like chickens," which left the poor boy more confused then ever.

A same word can, in different intentional contexts mean radically different things. It is up to the reader to "break the code" to what the author actually intend to tell you. If you are unable to decipher it, many things could basically just go to waste.

Same goes to what we say. Once spoken, words cannot be retracted. Words are tools that we've always had access to and have used everyday since we started talking. Because they have always been there and because we use them frequently, we get into verbal ruts. We often talk without thinking first and without being aware of the impact of our own words. Yet they can have a powerful impact - both on others and reflect us.

In dishonouring life, the worst thing that people can do is to be faultfinders. These are people who dwell on all that are wrong in the world and people around them. They whine and complain and moan and create a toxic atmosphere with their negative words. Particularly damaging is when others constantly criticize you, always pointing out what they do wrong.

People need the opposite. They need to be recognized and affirmed when they do something good. "We live in an ocean of words, but like the fish in the water, we are often not aware of it." We tend to take words for granted, and often do not think before we say something. We always have to remind ourselves the words are powerful. They have the power to destroy lives, and have the power to elevate lives. Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless...