I had described something, an event, a person, etc., with words that I had used for decades and decades. Words like nice or good or not bad. I went to a weekend workshop in 2017 by Chris McClatchey. He is a real estate expert who focuses on creative financing techniques for buying real estate. At there, I heard the speaker that expanded my perspective exponentially about describing! Very simple, but powerful to tweak some words!
He said that he no longer uses 4 letter words. What did he mean? He does not like to swear. Like 4 letter words. More, some, same, and many are examples of boring descriptions. Whenever he found he was going to use a 4 letter word to explain a situation, he would realize he was going to “swear.” He did not want to use any swear words. It was unprofessional and he could outshine. It opened up his world and mine.
I learned that I used dull, plain, and repetitious words. Like he, I discovered that by using expressive words, the person or people that listened to what I said, enjoyed the conversation better! The “audience” was or were more engaged and the experience was more memorable. All because I committed to not “swearing” anymore. I would hear myself say a 4 letter word to describe myself, a person, or an event. I would remind myself and re-commit to use more clever and colorful descriptions. Since then I have expanded the use of lively and vivid narratives. My life has been more exciting now that I exercise conscious control of the words I use regularly.
You can expand your habit of expressive words. Make your “presentation” to another or others alive. Whether you are speaking to one person or 10 or 100, express more imaginative and interesting descriptions and your stories become extraordinary!
Make a stab at doing it and let us know in the comments. And remember…Smile!
