by CherylLynn

Created on: June 07, 2009   Last Updated: December 08, 2009

Setting any and all political correctness aside, "a man's word is his bond." This little piece of wisdom is not just some novel quote that one might hear on the Leave it to Beaver show. If you think hard on this you'll find that in the heart of every person there resides an awareness of how powerful their words are and the actual depth of what it means that their word is their bond. Innately most people's word is the only thing that places them beyond being merely being a face shown to the world and being a person they share with other people.

Look close enough and you'll see that everything we know of a person is a variant degree of how well that person's actions follow the words spoken by that person. For example, if Joe says he'll be over at noon and shows up at 3pm, it may be forgivable on one or two occasions, but when we realize this is a constant behavior of Joe's we will begin to question his reliability and consider him an "unreliable" friend. Joe's inability to honor his word or have honor in his word lets us know that Joe is not the person we call when we need help in a timely manner. In fact, when we think about it almost everything we promise to those who depend upon us is relayed to them through our words.

Hopefully our actions match our words. But regardless of our choices beyond the words we've spoken, words are amazing things. Words are powerful. Words seem to attach themselves to something within our human heart and attract experiences in our lives that emulate our belief in those words.

They remember from their childhood. Regardless of that person's age there are most likely little quips that they recall from their childhood. I recall that one of my families mantras was, "money don't grow on trees." This particular mantra was not empowering and took years of affirmative reprogramming to override and replace with a more empowering belief. Recognition that it's this compilation of words from our life experiences that molds us into who we are. This compilation of words sets our belief systems, supports our social and antisocial networks, and paints the pages of our history and future. Words are indeed powerful. It dawns on me that it is such power being frivolously used and tossed about as if without value that attributes to the weakness of our families, our community and our world.

Some old wisdom is still wise and taken in that light , man's word has to be his bond. A man's word is everything that we know of him beyond what he physically shows us. A man's word is his honor, loyalty, and fealty to his family and community. Hopefully, a man's word is his private measure of self to which he aspires for perfection.

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