Word.

Word is bond.
In the beginning was the word.
He's as good as his word.
I give you my word.

Once upon a time I was adrift in the world with no belief system I could buy into. I was testing the rules all the time just to make sure they existed for good reason. While on that trip, I studied religious beliefs from around the world, just to see if there was any Truth in them. Well, here's a Truth, and I'm just going to hand it to you with my blessing, because that's what people should try to do for others as they get older. If it changes your life too, it'll be worth the few minutes you spend reading this. I realized today that it's one of the most important things I've learned so far.

Some spiritual practices include vows of silence. How hard would that be? Try not talking for only one day sometime just to see what you're made of.

Why does anyone value personal silence? Well, it gives you the quiet you need to listen to yourself think, to actually hear others when they speak, and (maybe, if you're lucky, some believe) to experience God. Some believe that God/enlightenment is experienced only when you can also stop thinking. Others believe that if you just shut up, the Spirit will whisper to you. Still others believe that talking consumes so much energy that you need to save it up so you can use it somewhere else. (Of course these same folks think that about sperm too, but that's a story for another day.)

So that's all about not talking. But what you do say matters even more.

Words are often thought to have magical properties. Examples of that are endless: curses, incantations, exorcism, final rites, vows, oaths, and so on. Some people believe that if you practice saying what's true and making sure to keep your word, you'll be able to affect reality just by speaking.

The idea is that your spiritual life force will have such a clear channel through your voice that you will be able to manifest things just by asserting their reality. Say it and it becomes so. Indian and Asian religious tradition is full of the power of the word, for example: God's word creates the entire universe by vibrating with sound, and you can chant a word that will bring you to enlightenment if you do it with focused enough attention.

Well, all these are fascinating ideas that you can weigh and examine for yourselves against the evidence. There's more than a grain of Truth in there. But there's also a very practical, non-religious, unmagical application of your word(s). No one lives in a vacuum. We all live in relation to other people. And those relationships, those things that tie us together, determine a lot about how well your life works and what opportunities you will be given. And words (backed up by actions) create those relationships.

For example:

Anne tells you she'll be there at 3 to pick you up. She never shows up. Next time you want someone you can depend on, who will you look to? Not Anne. And if she needs a ride? She's walking.

Bob calls you up and tells you that his brother broke your CD player. Later you find out that Bob really broke it. You'll never believe another thing Bob tells you -- at least not without checking your facts every time.

Carl always does what he says he would do, or else he calls to change the plan. When Carl says he'll take care of something, you know you can take that to the bank. His word is good.

Doris always tells the truth, even when she must admit she made a mistake or that she failed or was embarrassed. She just keeps it real, and you always know what's going on with her and with you because she will just tell you, and you know if it came from her, it's got to be true.

Who are you going to reccommend for the job opening?
Who will you want in your class?
Who will you loan money to or let sleep on your couch?
Who will you choose to marry?
Who will you want as part of your group?
Who will become that group's leader?

Excercises for the reader:

1. Try giving your voice a rest every now and then, and see if someone's trying to talk to you.

2. Practice making your word mean something. It's called developing "integrity" and it will absolutely change everything about what comes to you in life if you can master it.

integrity:

1. firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : INCORRUPTIBILITY
2. an unimpaired condition : SOUNDNESS
3. the quality or state of being complete or undivided : COMPLETENESS

Word.