Do your words reflect your mood?

Do your words express your true emotion?

Over the past couple of months, I’ve read some headlines that confused me and I don’t feel were appropriate. The first headline was ‘Sir Elton John in ‘shock’ after mother dies’. To start off I thought that Elton John was at least 65 years old, so his mother is probably 20 years older than him, so at 85 he must acknowledge that at that age it should not be a shock for her to die. Then I read on and I find out that his mother was 92.

The second headline was ‘Tragedy Strike’s Queen’s family’. At first my thought was that maybe one of her younger grandchildren died. I read on and find out that her cousin died and was 96 years old. I don’t know about you but to hear of a tragedy, then find out that the person was over 90 years old it doesn’t make sense.

I bring these two examples’ up because I think society has bought into the use of overstatement or magnification about anything that happens. As I know a little about the use of language I need to inform you that when we make overstatements or magnify our feeling we do nothing but harm to ourselves and confuse those close to you.

I am a firm believer in honesty, but to say that Elton John was in ‘shock’ after his mother died, does not make sense and does not help the situation whatsoever. I can see that he was sad or upset because his mother died. But it is hard to believe that he would go into a state of shock. For to be in shock is defined as a sudden upsetting or surprising event or experience. For the Queen’s cousin’s death to be defined as a tragedy, it is defined as an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a serious accident, crime, or natural catastrophe.

Does this all make sense?

What can you do starting today to use words that truly reflect your feelings or your mood?