My mother banned my siblings and I from using the s-words. We would have NEVER thought of using the actual s-word, so this ban pertained to “shut-up,” “stupid” and “sucks.” I’m not sure when this rule started but even today, at the age of 29, my mom does not put up with the use of these words around her. It’s a rule I’m happy to live by.

Language is an important part of life and we often don’t pay attention to the words that we use in our lives. My mother ALWAYS did when we were growing up (and even today). Think about the use of these s-words. Are they used in a positive manner? No! They are always used to tear down or to display anger. They are words used only for negative impact.

Why should we leave these words as part of our daily language? Should we be leaving a place in our lives for the negative, for tearing down others? I challenge you to remove these simple words from your vocabulary and see if it makes a difference. Take this simple step towards taking language that tears down out of your life. Don’t use these s-words with your family, your friends or co-workers. Stop tearing down with these harsh words and start building people up!

Give it a try!