December 28, 2025
Your words become your world.
Nadeem Aslam
I watched a recent NYT piece going behind the scenes with the in-room dining staff at The Plaza Hotel in NYC. In addition to their inspiring stories of longevity and commitment to the guest experience, one item caught my attention: a list of “powerful words” (Good morning, Absolutely, My Pleasure, Thank you, etc), and in the center with a strike-line through them, banned words (Hi, Okay, Sure, Awesome, etc).
It was a reminder to me that words matter. How we show up, what we say, how others feel in our presence — these are all important and regular ways we demonstrate who we are and how we value others. At LinkedIn we cited “words matter” often when working in exec comms — every word matters. I made my share of mistakes, especially in written emails that came off with robotic language, stiffness, and a lack of nuance. Re-reading them later made me shudder - how did I write that? It didn’t sound like me.
Which is a good way to calibrate: Write how you speak. Use simple words. Avoid weak phrases (precisely the ones in the center of the image below). Be clear and succinct. End with gratitude. I’m working on helping my kids with this too. Eye contact. A smile. And powerful words. Do those things, and you’re already 90% there in life.
