"Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs." Pearl Strachan Hurd

Words are easy to articulate but have you ever given any thought as to what can result from your words? We use a lot of them every day and usually not a great deal of deliberation precedes them.

The Buddha said, "Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world."

Positive words can heal when negative ones can literally kill. Insensitive, unkind words can destroy the human spirit. It does not have to be many words, sometimes only one can cause irrevocable hurt.

The taunt that we have often heard and repeated at school "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me," is wrong. I believe that in some ways it is possibly easier to recover from physical damage than emotional harm.

Words have great power, both positive and negative. They can wound or heal. A child's impressionable mind does not appreciate that Mum and Dad are just in a bad mood today, but will identify with derogatory put downs and this could result in long-lasting psychological damage.

The late Florence Scovel Shinn was an artist and metaphysician and has helped thousands of people through her healing work. She was the author of 'The Game Of Life And How To Play it' and its sequels 'The Power Of The Spoken Word' and 'Your Word Is Your Wand'.

"A person knowing the power of the word, becomes very careful of his conversation. He has only to watch the reaction of his words to know that do 'not return void'. Through his spoken word, man is continually making laws for himself," she wrote way back in 1925.