Considering one’s self a writer always sounds so pretentious to me. Right up there with considering one’s self beautiful or charming or fun to be around. Also, with using the term “one’s self.” But many people are writers. It’s not a term reserved for the elite.

If you’ve ever kept a journal, written lesson plans, drafted a document or imagined a story for a child, you’re a writer. We all communicate in writing and with words every day. For some of us writing may come easier. For some of us speaking may come easier. And for some of us words don’t come easily at all. But communication isn’t limited to words.

I’ve always been a peaceful person. I like people to get along, I like peace in my environment and I avoid conflict whenever I can. And I have found that effective communication makes this happen. The more we share and listen to one another, the more we understand and empathize with each other. And empathy, the ability to understand another’s viewpoint, is what truly brings peace.

We are all different. This may seem obvious, but it’s easy to forget. Because of backgrounds, experiences and temperaments we all view the world in a variety of ways. Communication provides the vehicle by which we can share our viewpoint with another. How can we understand each other and our unique styles if we don’t share them?

When I was in elementary school, the teachers taught the children a phrase: Use words, not verbs. This resonated with my little peace-loving, verbal heart despite the obvious problem with syntax. Verbs are words, but I got the idea. They wanted us to talk with each other, not fight to solve problems. There are many people in our world today who could use this advice.

Words truly have the power to heal if we’re open to them. They can bring people together better than just about anything else. Written or spoken, words express our thoughts and feelings. They can open someone else’s eyes to the reality of our point of view. Use words wisely and often.