The Power of Precision Language

The Power of Precision Language

Love is a beautiful cheater word.

First, Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday and I tell my hubby and kids “I Love You” 15 times a day, at least (I haven’t actually counted). Suffice it to say, it’s a very common phrase to come out of my mouth.

The other night we watched The Giver, and the setting was one completely devoid of emotion or personal passion. As the Receiver character started becoming aware of memories and old human feelings, he started to ask about “love”. He was quickly reprimanded by his mother in the movie, who demanded that he use “precision of language” claiming he had used a word “so antiquated it didn’t mean anything anymore”. While in that setting, precision of language was used to move away from personal emotions, what would happen if we actually used the power of precision language to specifically state how and why we love someone.

Love is grand and beautiful, but overall, it really is a cheater word. It’s a word you use when you’re not sure how or why you love someone specifically. You may be aware that they are very important in your life, but have you really explained to them how they make your life better and why you appreciate having them there?

What if instead of saying “I love you” so easily, we stopped and thought about how we could personalize the statement for the moment and the person to make it even more meaningful. What if we told our husbands, “I really appreciate your thoughtfulness. It makes my day so much better and I love you for that.”? What if we told our children, “I really appreciate how you’re starting to show your concern and care for others and I’m so proud to be your mom.” What if instead of falling back to the familiar and welcoming phrase of “I love you” all the time, we made an effort to be specific and let the power of words make a difference in the lives of those around us?

I am not advocating for the phrase “I love you” to be removed or that we stop saying it by any means. I’m simply suggesting that we use the rich vocabulary we have to enhance the meaning of shared loving expressions and see the magical power of words as they build up the people around us. It’s amazing to see how someone stands with their shoulders a little straighter and walks with more confidence after you tell them they are really making an improvement, or they have really helped make a project successful or that you simply enjoy their personality and what it adds to your daily life. These are all instances where you’re speaking directly to the heart of an individual and its lasting effect can help them grow and get through the difficult times.

I love “Love”! Without it, this world would be a dark, dreary place with no sunshine in the hearts of us who live here. Of course, the greatest form of love started long ago when the big man upstairs gave us the gift of His Son, and that is love we can never surpass. However, we can honor that love and make sure we spread God’s grace, encouragement and kindness with the specificity of the powerful language He gave us.

Perhaps next time before you simply say, “I love you” to someone, you’ll consider how you can make that more powerful and lasting for them by specifying what it is you love about them and why it means so much to you. I guarantee you they’ll think about it the rest of the day and they’ll have a smile on their face because of it.