The Words We Choose (and Why They Matter) - July 14, 2025
Jul 14
2 min read
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I had planned to publish a different blog – back in late May. I even publicly said I would in my early May blog.
But then… life happened.
A long-time, close friend died unexpectedly.
A small body ache turned into chronic, unrelenting pain.
And my only child, weeks away from moving to college, began asserting his independence in all the ways that signal he’s more than ready to leave the nest (but are also breaking my heart a little each day).
In the midst of it all, I didn’t feel like writing. Not a new blog, not even the one I had already polished and prepped. I felt dulled, uninspired. My inner dialogue—those small, persistent words we all carry—began weighing me down.
But then something shifted.
I remembered I had a choice in how I speak to myself. In how I frame my experiences. And as I began choosing new language—kinder, more curious, more grounded—I felt more like me again.
- My friend would want me to live my life, to laugh out loud, and to find the fun in every day.
- My pain nudged me into presence. When I am deeply attuned to others, I feel it less.
- My son is reminding me, daily, that he is growing up beautifully.
In this season of change, I’ve started choosing words that help me stay awake to my life instead of numbing through it. That’s why it felt so serendipitous when the latest edition of the Intelligent Weekly newsletter from Intelligent Change landed in my inbox. It offered five simple, powerful words to shape your summer:
- Curiosity – Stay open and ask questions that bring life forward.
- Radiant – Let yourself shine, even when things aren’t perfect.
- To Unfold – Release the need to figure it all out at once.
- Play – Rediscover joy in the unscripted moments.
- To Savor – Slow down and stretch out the good.
These aren’t just concepts—they’re invitations.
As the team at Intelligent Change wrote, “Words spark change. One shift in language and suddenly the whole day feels different.”
Their newsletter isn’t available online, but if you’re curious, you can subscribe HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page (this gem came from Issue 113).
Reflection Questions for You
Let me leave you with three questions to sit with:
- What difficult experience in your work or personal life right now could benefit from new words?
- What’s a more helpful or hopeful phrase you could try using?
- How might you gently remind yourself of that reframe when the old thoughts return?
As always, I’d love to hear your reflections. And if you or your team is navigating change and want a supportive guide along the way, I’d be honored to walk with you.
Warmly,
Carol
Beautiful blog that gives your reader permission when “life happens”. I have thought a lot recently about the Four Agreements with one being “Always Do Your Best” and how the subscript is that our best is different day to day. When life happens, our best is different than our best during a peak moment. I have found so many clients needing to remember that right now between the dire political regime and the feeling of “impending doom”, with summer and how it slows everything down, illness (it seems like everyone has something right now), you name it. I am sure that the high level of uncertainty is a big contributing factor.