This past weekend, my Bishop's wife gave a talk during sacrament meeting discussing the topic of 'proclaiming what we know' as members of The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have been thinking about this topic for some time now and want to echo some sentiments regarding a commitment to spreading what I know!
During his address at BYU Hawaii, Elder Russell M. Ballard said that students should consider sharing their views on blogs, responding to online news reports and using the “new media” in other ways.
“We cannot stand on the sidelines while others, including our critics, attempt to define what the Church teaches,” he said.
“While some conversations have audiences in the thousands or even millions, most are much, much smaller. But all conversations have an impact on those who participate in them. Perceptions of the Church are established one conversation at a time.”
A wonderful tactic for members of the church, but for everyone else too!!
I wish to talk about the power of saying 'I' versus 'we.' When saying the word 'I,' I become a motivating, comforting and relating person. People are the most moved and inspired when someone uses examples in their own life to convey a message. In the words of 'I,' people are the most moved and inspired when I use examples to convey a message. My point and purpose gets across with more clarity and definition.
For example: "We need to be committed to spreading the word on what we know! " This sentence, though powerful, creates opportunities for readers to take the word and spread it, but defeats the action by creating some kind of a 'pull.' With this sentence, it seems as if I am trying to convince the reader that they should do it, or there is some unwritten consequence if they don't.
"I am committed to spreading the word on what I know." This sentence shows that I am serious about this commitment and I am doing something about it. This shows the reader that they too can commit and has a lot more power to motivate someone to do something of their own accord.
It works every time, especially when it comes to telling people what I know. I don't just believe the things I write on this site...I know them. When I practice the 'I' demonstration, it is amazing to see what kind of relationships develop because I was open. It also eliminates frustration when other people try to tell me how they feel about a particular topic.
As a person who is committed to understanding human beings from their point of view, I find that this practice allows me to see what I am clearly committed to, and has also provided a way for communication to blossom for those around me. Everyone, regardless of faith can speak in 'I knows.'
I am sure most of you are thinking how do we know what we know? Well, that is something I had to discover for myself. All I am saying is that once you know that you know....take it to the next level and tell people about it. I find that when I tell people what I know, even if they don't agree with me, they can't refute something that I know.
It just seems more powerful, doesn't it? Just some random thoughts....
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