Have you ever been hurt by an event?

Are you sure that it was the event that hurt you?

I write this blog in the aftermath of the World Cup in soccer. After a semi-final loss by Brazil to Germany the following comments were all over the press coverage;

• Many had predicted a German victory, yes, but no one could have anticipated an evisceration of this magnitude.
• This is a catastrophic, terrible loss, the worst loss.
• This is more than an elimination. More than a lopsided score line. In seven murderous minutes, a mystique had been stripped away.

My concern is that I thought that soccer/European football was a game. If it is a game I have a question. Why the use of such over-the-top words as ‘evisceration’, ‘catastrophic’ and ‘murderous’? Don’t these over-the-top words come from the writers thoughts about the game; not the game itself?

My concern is how are the people that cried or wept at the loss of this game going to handle a real-life challenge?

In order for all of us to improve our lives we need to look closer at the words we use. This is because words affect us more than we will admit.

The next time you have a problem, ask your self; ‘Was it the most catastrophic, terrible and the worst challenge you’ve had?’ Or; ‘Was it a problem that proves you need to learn, prepare better and apply your skills the next time the issue comes up?’