Word Up

"Talk is cheap."
"Words don't mean much."
"Actions speak louder than words."

It may seem odd for a writer, one for whom the written word is so important, to be in agreement with the sentiment behind these thoughts, but I am. At least, on face value. Talk is indeed cheap, but that is only half the story. Talk is cheap when it is not followed swiftly by action. Words, in and of themselves, often do not mean a great deal. We all, to a greater or lesser extent, make throwaway comments and use words and phrases without really thinking about their full implications, or having a complete understanding of their often multiple meanings. Actions do, without doubt, often speak louder than words. Even the words of the finest writers of all time are limited in their power if they are not applied to some form of constructive or creative action.

What I fundamentally disagree with though is the premise that words cannot change the world. Perhaps alone they cannot create change per se, but I absolutely believe that the written word, when presented coherently, read with diligence and pondered upon with intellect, can really change our thinking and therefore be converted into action that can ultimately affect real change in the world. It is only our individual limitations; of literacy and intellect, of capacity for understanding using logic and reason, of ability to think beyond various biases, and the awareness of and determination to surpass the inherent flaws in the human condition, that stop good words becoming positive action.

I write a good deal on overcoming the difficulties and facing the challenges of mental illness, and on how one can 'evolve' to be a better person by changing one's thinking on things. Despite my knowledge of a wide array of tools, techniques and methods to achieve positive change in my life, all of which are truly 'tried and tested', I can still come unstuck and fail to live up to my potential in a heartbeat, on a daily basis. It is far too easy to fall into this trap of not practising what I preach. The process of affecting and maintaining positive change - personal, emotional/spiritual growth - requires constant work. Without accepting that one must be permanently doing this work, and applying oneself to the task all the time, one quickly stops growing. Stagnation is quick to take hold, and soon after, reversion to negative thinking. Such is the spirit-draining strength of human entropy, and the magnitude of the imperative to combat it.

If we talk the talk, but do not walk the walk - if our patter is grand but we have no follow-through - we are not living a genuine life. We are faking it. 'Fake it until you make it' is something I hear mooted as an actual valid method of achieving positive change. I am sure that, to some degree, appearing confident, optimistic and competent can help a person to start to build themselves up. However, this is at best a limited short-term measure. There is, as ever, no shortcut to long-term personal growth, and the importance of striving to be genuine in our thinking about ourselves and the rest of the world cannot be overstated. It is extraordinarily rare to be able to separate people into one of two types, but in this matter you really can. There are genuine people, and there are fake people. I know which camp I choose to be a part of.

All this talk of hard work, difficult thinking and taking on challenges can seem overwhelming. Sometimes I wonder if I am writing too much about how hard this all is and not enough about the massive benefits of doing the work. Even more often I find I am reeling from my own sense of personal failure - failure to live up to the model of growth I promote, failure to acknowledge and enjoy the benefits and rewards of the successes I achieve, failure to get past the negativity when mental ill-health gets the better of me - failure to properly practice what I preach. Sometimes all the knowledge and wisdom in the world cannot save us from the pain of the human condition and the suffering of mental illness. All I can do is accept that fact, practice forgiving myself, make my apologies to those I may have negatively affected, and keep on keeping on.

Words do mean a great deal in this world, to each of us personally, between people and to humanity as a whole. Words can and do change the world for the better. Sharing our knowledge and wisdom is a gift that makes us all richer. And, when it comes to affecting real, fundamental, lasting, positive change in the world - well, I agree with the words of a shining light who was a far wiser man than I am..

"Listen, the next revolution will be a revolution of ideas." - Bill Hicks



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