The Power of Words

A few Christmases ago my wife gave me a book, autographed by the author. He is a famous sports person from around these parts; you’d instantly recognize the name if I told it to you. But if I did that at this point, SOME of you would simply stop reading this article, or decide that everything I write from this point forward was somehow tainted. Silly, yes… but true. At least around these parts.

The writer of this book is a coach. He’s a motivator, a teacher, a counselor. The nature of his job requires him to discern and understand how to get the very best out of each player, in order to reach a common goal for the whole team. He’s pretty good at it. One of the primary tools he uses to accomplish this is language, and this coach is clearly a lover of language. The whole book is about the way that the words we choose to use can either build up or tear down… create or destroy… amplify or obliterate.

When I unwrapped the present that Christmas, it was a nice surprise. It wasn’t a book I would have looked for at the bookstore. In fact, I didn’t even know that the coach had written it; my wife found out about it through a book-signing event at her work. “Look inside the cover,” she said.

What I saw there spoke to me. The coach had written: “Robert, always believe in the power of words.”

Like the coach, my mother was also a lover of language. She was an English major in college, and she taught me the ways that words can work together to create literal works of art. My mother planted the seeds of language in my soul when I was a child. Two other women, both teachers – Mrs. Eubanks in the 4th and 5th grades and Mrs. Tennant in the 8th grade – cultivated those seeds and helped grow them strong. And so now I’m a lover of language, too.

So… why did the coach’s note matter? It’s not because we’re friends. I can count on one hand the number of times we’ve been within 100 yards of each other. It’s not because he’s well known; my career in television taught me that famous people can often be the most plastic and shallow individuals on the planet.

The coach’s words matter simply because they are true. Words ARE powerful.

One of the things most important to my work in Real Estate is clear and effective communication. It’s what brings parties together. It keeps things on track. It’s what keeps transactions moving forward. If you know someone looking for help in buying or selling a house, I hope you’ll ask them to give me a call.

I’ll use the best words I know in order to help them.

Robert Flinn, REALTOR®/Broker
919-402-1242 (Direct) - 919-698-2040 (Cell)
rflinn@fmrealty.com (email)