the gift of mondays

i hate the word "stupid". hate it. can't stand for anyone to say it.  i hate it when i hear it on television. i hate it when i hear it in movies. i hate it when i hear it in life. stupid is a dangerous word. a sneaky word. a word that worms its way into your life and changes it. changes you. because the words we hear shape us. they make us into who we believe we are. they bring us life or they bring us death. encouraging words bring hope. criticizing words do not. everything we say and everything we do either builds someone up or tears someone down. there is no in between. and for me-stupid-has no in between. it always tears someone down. it's a strange phenomenon that people remember the bad things people say about them more than they remember the good. fat. ugly. stupid. lazy. worthless. loser. words that always cut. words that always damage. words that always shatter. but from the time we're little we're led to believe that wo