What do these words mean to you?

Today I received, as part of my annual donation to the Salvation Army, a selection of Christmas stickers with the words Hope, Joy, Peace, Love, Faith and Care on them. It got me thinking, what do these words mean to me? We say these, and many more, words so freely but do we really mean what we say?

Most of the time, because we are all so rushed, we never stop to think about what the words we use actually mean. By clarifying their meaning, it makes us more selective of the words we use, and think twice to check what we mean before saying it. I think this is a good thing, don’t you?

I would much rather have someone mean what they say to me rather than say it just for the sake of it, wouldn’t you? Imagine how different the world would be, if we all meant what we said, and stood by our word. I tend to believe that it would lift the level of caring for each other, the honesty, and the integrity of us all.

So, here’s what these words mean to me. Please feel free to share, what do these words mean to you, in the comments below.

Hope – The word hope doesn’t mean sitting on your touche and being hopeful that things will change for the better. It means having a belief that there are other opportunities out there and then getting up and going to look for them. Action is always rewarded, there is always hope (opportunities) if we choose to believe that.

Joy – Is such a wonderful word. For me, joy means the absolute happiness that you feel inside when you can’t help but smile. It may be due to an event that occurred, or simply just because you are feeling grateful for all that you have in your life. It’s a peaceful feeling that warms me from the pit of my stomach, through my heart and throughout my entire body.

Peace – This word has two meanings for me. World wide, it is my wish that we can all live in peace and harmony. Without violence, hatred or judgement. Personally, it is a feeling of calmness. It may not mean everything is perfect, but it is a feeling that it is all ok regardless, and I can handle whatever is coming my way.

Love – The most widely used word in the world and yet, what does it really mean when you say that you love someone, or something? To me, it means accepting and appreciating. When I say that I love you, it means that I accept you exactly as you are (yes, flaws and all) and I appreciate who you are and/or what you are doing.

Care – This is the easiest word for me to describe because to me it means you matter. If I care about you, it means that you matter to me enough for me to think about you, do something for you, spend time with you, encourage you. It may be shown in the smallest of ways, and we are all different in how we show that we care.

Faith – Is a very powerful word for me. It means that I am not alone. It means that I know that I am part of a bigger plan, and that I have a purpose. It supports me to be able to handle challenges, and to have the confidence that I am always loved, no matter what.

The descriptions of what these words mean to me, will be different, and could be similar, to what do these words mean to you and I encourage you to think about the words you use on a regular basis. Clarify what they really mean to you and then choose how and who you use them with.