Choose your words and choose how you use them

"Money and success don t change people; they merely amplify what is already there." - Will Smith Zig Zigler states that one needs to feed the mind to be successful. He goes on in his writings and training to state that one needs to feed it with the right type of things so that one will be prepared for opportunities that will present themself everyday. One can not "get" ready for what comes every day. One must be "ready". Below is a blog posted on Idol Chatter http://blog.beliefnet.com/idolchatter/2007/12/hitler-meant-well-will-smith-s.html It addresses something in the news and the talk shows currently. As with other "Thoughts for the Day" this is not about agreeing or disagreeing but about learning about how the use of words and communication is such an uncertain science and must be something that is continuely worked on by everyone. No one is immune from saying something that "could have been said better." As I always have said ,"I love to eat but the one thing I hate to eat is my words.!" Read below and see the linguistical gymnnastics that are being done by people over Will Smith's words. What do you think he meant? How could he have said his thoughts better? Then notice at the end what some of the postings are and how the semantical word games continue... Power Word for today: Pusillanimous (pyoo-suh-LAN-uh-muhs) adj. - cowardly Example: Gary's robbery of the Orphans Fund was a PUSILLANIMOUS act if there ever was one. Here is a quote from Will Smith. The words are well chosen here...but any time and any place either we can say the wrong thing or be misunderstood... Money and success don t change people; they merely amplify what is already there." - Will Smith Log in Category: Celebrities Hitler Meant Well: Will Smith Speaks and We Wish He Didn't Oy vey. Every time actors speak I find myself holding my breath and hoping that what they'll say will resemble one of the moving, well-written speeches that they deliver during the roles they've taken on in their lifetime. As it turns out, those speeches are crafted by experienced people (I believe they're called "writers," or at least they are when they're not striking) who know how to turn a phrase, and directed by other experienced people who are called "directors." Or sometimes, those emotional moments are brokered by a James Lipton or Barbara Walters or Oprah or Ellen, to get actors to discover the wonderful inner workings of their own minds, to entertaining effect for the audience. Often, these celebrities become spokespeople for wonderful philanthropic causes that help people all over the world, and they should be praised for devoting part of a significant fortune and pulpit to good works. But woe, alas and alack, sometimes it might have been better if the celebrity had said nothing at all. For instance, a recent combination of Will Smith+Scotland=a possible boycott of "I Am Legend," when the former fresh prince made the following opinion known. Smith says he doesn't believe, quote, "Hitler didn't wake up going, "let me do the most evil thing I can do today," adding that Hitler was trying to do what he thought was good, though his mind used "a twisted, backward logic." Do I believe that Will Smith is an anti-Semite? No. Will I never look at his movies the same way again, like what happened in the wake of Mel Gibson's trip to Crazytown? No. Will I insist, as the local JDL is, that Hollywood "shun any future projects involving Smith." Clearly not. But do I find it surprising that Smith would invoke Hitler, the most hated, and most acknowledgedly-evil human to have walked the planet (at least in recent memory) through a haze of attempted comprehension? Uh-huh. The report continues that "Smith himself is angry at the way critics have interpreted his words" [I bet he is] "saying there's no way they should be read to imply that he believes Hitler was anything but "a vile, heinous vicious killer." Good. We all agree. Let's move on. And please, celebrities...whether you yell at Matt Lauer for the evils of meds-prescribing psychologists or try to understand Hitlerian logic, even as an intellectual exercise that challenges the concepts of good and evil, I implore you: think before you speak. Comments (22) Now notice the some of the semantical workings on Smith's thoughts and the commentary on them...go to BeliefNet for more postings... http://blog.beliefnet.com/idolchatter/2007/12/hitler-meant-well-will-smith-s.html Below are some of the 22 comments already posted about the above blog:I really feel for Will Smith right now. I often have my beliefs interperted incorrectly also. But thankfully, mine aren't usually distorted in front of the whole world.He never once said he agreed with or condoned Hitler's actions. He only took the time and wisdom to look at the situation a little deeper. It's very very easy to say that Hitler was pure evil and that's just that. I believe there was an unbelievable amount of evil working in Hitler's heart. But I do not believe he was born that way. I don't know what happened, but something happened. Now before you say "We all have bad things happen to us, and we don't go out and commit genocide." But that's a very simplistic view. Many people are molested as children. Some grow up to be child molestors themselves, and some grow up to be childrens advocates. There is no black & white cut & dry answers to things like these. I will probably get blasted for this, but I believe the real spiritual leaders of our world (Jesus, Ghandi, etc.) would find forgiveness for him. You can forgive and try to understand people and horrific situations without condoning reprehensible (sp?) actions or suggesting that their actions should not have consequences.Acid destroys the container it's kept in. Meaning, forgiveness is always the path to emotional and spiritual freedom. Furthermore, the acid inside Hitler will do more damage to him than anything anyone else could inflict upon him.Namaste'. Posted by: Melanie December 27, 2007 10:26 AM I would be very interested in a definition of Good from Will Smith. I have never been that impressed with the intellect of celebrities and this comment reaffirms my belief that intelligence is not a requirement for working in film. Perhaps Will should read a history book, a dictionary might be helpful. Posted by: beth December 27, 2007 10:27 AM I agree. The Comments aren't shocking, and actually are corect. Hitler didn't wake up and decide to be evil, and didn't see himself as evil. Will Smith didn't say Hitler wasn't evil, he just said Hitler was in his own mind, not evil. So choose your words and choose how you use them by working each day to feed your mind... Richard Reynolds M.Div., M.Ed. ,Ed.S. ...give a man a fish feed him for a day, teach him to fish feed him for a life time...