10 Jan A Resolution Worth Talking About
Priscilla tells me that her resolution for 2019 is to renovate her personal lexicon.
A lexicon, or specialized vocabulary, personal and specific to you consists of the words you most frequently use. We each have our own. Many words appear in the lexicons of many people, of course, and people who spend a lot of time talking with each other often share parts of their lexicons.
Over time, and without supervision, lexicons can become rigid and stale and predictable such that some of us can speak whole paragraphs without actually thinking about what words we’re going to use. While this speaking-without-thinking may seem efficient, it actually can be dangerous. When is an absence of thinking a good thing?!
Priscilla says she bores herself – not with the things she has to say, but with the words she chooses to say them. She notices the same old descriptors and introducers appearing again and again. ‘Terrific, awesome, great, interesting, really nice’ – do these words apply to everything in my life, she wonders. And as she begins to listen to herself she notices that she uses similar phrases and fillers: presumably, and so forth, and everything else, makes me crazy, bottom line, don’t go there, really.
What will she do about this? She listens to herself more, which, interestingly, means that she is thinking more carefully about what she is saying – a bonus, perhaps? And she’s more alert to more creative ways to express herself, which means that she does more listening – another bonus?
While this may seem like a problem for someone who has no actual problems, doesn’t it sound intriquing?
If your lexicon could use a reno, let us know. We can work on it together!
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