There are many things in life that bring us joy. It may be the smile of a child, watching playful kittens and puppies, watching a good movie with your family, a date-night out with your spouse, or a sunrise or sunset.
There are also things that cause us to relax, reduce stress, change our thinking or our world.
These may be the written words that appear in books, the sharing of thoughts, mental images, and ideas.
The words you read daily, those poems, that romance novel, the fiction, the research, the Bible or book reflecting a religious view you carry or want information about, that scheduler or organizer, that daily journal...all are impacting your life.
We must be cautious in the books we select as words have the power to inspire anger, distrust, actions of harm toward others as well as to inspire, build-up, motivate, and encourage. The words we choose to read or write can have a positive or negative force on our lives and the lives of others. Books are precious treasures to be chosen with great discernment, as they offer hope, entertainment, and even solutions in life.
We wanted to share the video below which explains the power of books to each of us, and the way ideas, concepts and words can change our lives. Click to watch video about Fuller Publishing's philosophy about the joy and power of books:
The words we read and hear can shape our thoughts and turn into the actions we follow. It's why it's important to listen to others. Words spoken and words listened to (& body language and tone of voice) are called communication.
Communication is essential for human development and the lack of communication leaves us feeling isolated, unloved, and unaccepted. We all have the power to change those feelings by the words we read, the actions we choose, and the information or support we feed into our minds and lives.
Books tell us that we are not alone, that others have struggled along the same difficult paths we've encountered and found answers.
Books help us explore new worlds, escape when we need it most, and read others' voices that are different than our voice.
Books help us understand we live in a complex world of many different types of people and treasure that uniqueness each brings to us and our world.
Books can be great gifts we give others or ourselves. Often when we are invited to someone's home or feel we should take a gift as a thank-you to someone, we don't know what to take. Should we take flowers or are our hosts allergic to flowers? Should we take a bottle of wine, or do they avoid alcohol due to their life choices? Do we take a toy for a friend's child's birthday party, and if so, what is the child's age and what do they like?
When we give gifts, the best gifts are personalized, gifts that reflect we've thought about the gift, we know about the intended recipient, and also what they may need, want, or enjoy.
When you share a book as a gift, you can personalize your choice, letting the recipient know you treasure them and know what they like or what they may need. If you are invited to a family member's home and know that family member enjoys playing golf, you can take them a gift of a book about golf; if they are gardener's, take a book about gardening. If they are struggling with grief at the loss of a family member or facing a rocky relationship, a book that would help them get through that difficult time might be important. Just be sensitive to their needs and take their needs into consideration (not necessarily what you think they need, but what they would want, would be of benefit to them, and that they would treasure).
A book is also a great gift to give ourselves! We can spend time in the library reading and relaxing, we can share books with others in book clubs or reading groups, we can attend authors presentations, we can go to used bookstores, or pass books around with friends. There are so many opportunities to open and enjoy a book!
Words have the power to hurt or to heal, whether spoken or written. When we write our thoughts and ideas, we delay the process of sharing those thoughts, as the actual writing process slows us down. That's the reason great speechwriters write their speeches down, then revise and revise repeatedly until they have the final speech that represents what they want to say. Authors have the same opportunity. Many authors consider words like candy, each word has a different taste, and simple words can completely change the thoughts or book.
When we speak, we often reactively speak, speak quickly, and if we speak without thought of the word's impact, our words may create contention or reactions that may not be what we want. It's also why it's so important to assess the words we hear and allow to impact us, both in speech and in written words.
Today may be the perfect day for you to take a break yourself, relax, and curl up with a good book or even visit that favorite bookstore!
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