Making Every Word Count
Making Every Word Count
Sometimes, I wonder if all this writing makes any difference.
Sometimes, I wonder if all this writing makes any difference, if it’s worth the hours I spend reading, thinking, and reflecting to share a perspective that will matter to somebody else.
According to Grammarly, an app I use to improve my writing (at least that’s how I justify the expense, it corrects grammar and spelling just as frequently). I’ve written 14,255,199 words since 2017. That doesn’t include the dozens of articles published before my first book and the many I wrote before 2017.
I’m asking myself: “Does what I write (and, by extension, what you read) mean anything to you?
I’m not necessarily looking for an answer to the question. Words are one medium I use in my creative calling and partnership with God. (If you want to answer, use the comments at the end or send me an email!)
“Why does it matter?” is a fundamental question I ask in brand strategy.
Before you begin your day, look in a mirror and ask yourself: “Does what I am going to do today – and say – matter?"
Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple, shared a similar perspective:
“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: ‘If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right.’
It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘no’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”
Most of us aren’t called to lead a global technology company like Apple. Every day is a new opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those we influence and participate in God’s kingdom in whatever we do and wherever we work.
Too often, we think that “making a difference” only applies to those who work in the social sector or nonprofit space. The difference we make isn’t about what we do; it’s about whether it makes someone’s life better.
You won’t make a difference by accident. You make a difference by being intentional. You change people’s lives (reconciliation) and the future (restoration) by making every word and every action count for something.
If today were the last day of your life, what would you do to make it count?