The Power of Buzzwords
Buzzwords are a form of mental prompts that empower you to look to yourself for answers and propel you to action in a positive and proactive way. In the past I have shared one buzzword from my book, this month I bring you a new buzzword, which includes a bevy of buzzwords…smile. May this buzzword (and collection) inspire you to find new ways to communicate and bridge differences in a safe and effective way.
This month’s buzzword is:
Set For Success
I started to call this my social experiment—a family holiday, which included four independent women, one cruise ship, two cabins, and a handful of buzzwords. After booking this cruise, at our first roundtable meeting, it was evident that we were four amazing and uniquely different women. While some family members wanted plans and structure for our upcoming one-week journey, others, the free spirits wanted the freedom to go with the flow. This meeting did not bring us together as we had hoped but seemed to divide us with feelings of defensiveness, frustration, quandary, and the big one “How are we going to survive seven days together!” Well, it started with one buzzword, “You Do You” to be used to keep two personalities working together when one was crossing the line or interfering with someone’s choice. Our greatest wish being this buzzword would “right the ship”…pun intended! Over the next few days of planning our trip, new buzzwords emerged and one fun one came about when the stress of being somewhere on time became an issue. It was suggested if one had a chance meeting with Brad Pitt, then they were going to stay put no matter what was planned. We found a handful of buzzwords that we would take with us on our travels to use as proactive tools to keep us working together in a loving way:
“You Do You” - when one’s decision is challenged, or someone is driving in your lane.
“Peace” (spoken and hand gesture) – when one is feeling vulnerable or misunderstood.
“Zen Time” – when needing some personal alone time.
“Brad Pitt” – when late, lost, or unavailable. No questions asked!
“For Mom” – aligning energy and love in one direction, to Mom.
I have used buzzwords personally for years, but this was the first time that I have seen how a group of individuals using a collection of buzzwords could bridge differences and work together in a loving and positive proactive way.
I am happy to say that this social experiment was an enormous success, for there wasn’t any “blood, sweat or tears” on this trip, a true testament to the Power of Buzzwords!