Four-Letter Words

I think it's time for us to replace the old, 'dirty' four-letter words (you know the ones) with some new ones. The new words are positive, hope-filled words. They are spoken not in anger or out of frustration, but in a spirit of support and kindness. Thanks to some of my Facebook friends for suggesting words to add to my original short list.

Look at these words, and think about how they make you feel. Sense the positive vibes, the feeling of peace and encouragement they offer. Think about what the world would be like if more of us used these new four-letter words in our thinking, speaking and actions.

Hope -- What can YOU do to bring hope to a person or animal without hope?
Love -- How do you show your love? Can you do more to show love, even to those you don't personally know?
Help -- What can you do to help a person or animal in need?
Life -- What can you do to celebrate life, or to improve the life of another?
Care -- How do you show you care? Is there something more you can do?
Home -- Everyone deserves a home, be it a person or a domestic animal. I know a woman, a musician, who is putting on a concert to raise funds and collect necessities for the homeless. She is putting her concern into action to help those who don't have a home.
Pray -- If you believe in prayer, how about praying for those less fortunate.
Good -- Do good, be good in your dealings with others.
Give -- Give of yourself, of your time, of your talents and resources. Sometimes a seemingly small thing can make a huge difference in someone's life. Give a complement. I recently complemented three women at my daughter's school for being so responsive, thorough and organized in dealing with a situation that at previous schools had been a real struggle. They all beamed when I complemented them.
Best -- Give your best in everything you do. Be the best mother, friend, dog owner, employee, volunteer.
Glad -- Be glad for (i.e., appreciate) what you have. As the song says, "It isn't having what you want, it's wanting what you have."
Nice -- Be nice to those you encounter. This is sometimes difficult for me, because it isn't easy to be nice to telemarketers who interrupt whatever I'm doing.
Kind -- It's an old saying, but "Practice Random Acts of Kindness" is a wonderful philosophy to live by.
Heal -- The world is full of hurt, emotional, physical and environmental. What can you do to help heal someone's hurt, or to help heal our beautiful planet?
Soft -- Isn't this a great word? Imagine the feeling of a soft blanket, or a soft voice. How does 'soft' make you feel?
Warm -- 'Warm' is a wonderful feeling experienced when we help others with no thought of what's in it for us. It's also nice to be warm on a cold winter day.
Hugs -- I've never been much of a hugger, but my attitude has changed. I love to get a hug from my daughter or from a friend I haven't seen in a long time. A hug can express so much more than mere words. It can also be a real pick-me-up to someone going through a rough time.

Other four-letter words with positive connotations are safe, soul, calm, kiss, pets and kids. You can probably think of others to add to this list.

I hate seeing trash on the roads. I can't do much about cleaning up the world's garbage, but I can at least clean up my little piece of the world. So when I'm out walking, I make a point of picking up any bottles or cans someone has tossed into the bushes or ditches. I take them home and put them in my recycle bin. It's a small, but positive, step.

Likewise, let's take a small, but positive, step by incorporating a few of these words, and the things they represent, in our daily lives. I believe it will be a start to making our world, or at least our little corner of it, a more positive place.