B-A-L-L-O-O-N

Words!  There are over one million words in the English language.  All these words are derived from an alphabet which is made up of only 26 letters.  Words!  B-A-L-L-O-O-N has 7 letters.

Have you ever spent time blowing up a balloon?  How about popping one?  Which can you do quicker?  If one doesn't have an air pump of some kind, blowing up a balloon can take a bit; however, it only takes a second for a popped balloon to lose all the air.  Right? 

Here's the parallel...words can build up or tear down.  The words we speak will either be productive or destructive.  Like letting a balloon float freely into the sky, once spoken, a word cannot be retrieved.  All the time and effort spent to build a reputation or someone's confidence, can be ruined in an instant with words which are critical, cutting and belittling.

Let's be wise and choose words which will uplift and build up.   A popped balloon CANNOT be salvaged!  Let's be guilty of building up and not tearing down.  Put yourself on the receiving end of your words and ask yourself how you'd feel?  If you hear a "pop!", you might better zip the lip.