How to cast a spell: choose your words, carefully

Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic.

-J.K. Rowling, Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

At the end of 7 books, 4224 pages, and countless brilliant characters, J.K. Rowling named her own work the real magic.

There is little in this world that matters more than the language we use. Words can create new worlds, uplift or wound. Destroy or heal. Their power is magnificent. Just think of a time someone hurt you with their words. That one little phrase, a string of words that you can never forget. The words reside in your soul, refusing to let go. Years later, you may not remember every detail but you never forget how that person made you feel.

The words we speak expose our character. How much can you tell about someone as you listen to them talk? Where they grew up, their level of education, even their self-confidence is apparent in the way someone speaks.

And the things we say determine our destiny. It is as if the universe can hear us, carving our path forward as we speak. If you repeat something enough, it becomes your reality. We all know that negative person. Constant complaints and pessimism consume the conversation and they manifest exactly what they claim to want to avoid.

Personal expression has become even more fraught in a world of snarky Facebook comments and angry Twitter rants. Our detachment through technology is lowering our ability to understand the effect our words have on others.

Words are a beautiful form of self-expression and can be used to create the world we want to experience. J.K. Rowling had it right…the magic of words cast a longer shadow than a magical spell ever could.