Welcome to my ClassyTip for this week which focuses on:

- Appearance
- Behavior
- Communication

- Inappropriate Language Can Be Costly - Tip #14

Watching a movie or listening to current popular music, one’s ears and then brain become assaulted by a barrage of words that in years past would only be spoken by crusty old sailors out of earshot of wives, mothers, and children.

Our brains are the storage bins for the language we use. It often seems that sensibility and good taste have been set aside, with lazy habits infiltrating our language. And, because foul language has begun to permeate the environment in recent years, our language skills may need some attention.

Think about a time when another person has turned to you in anger or frustration and shouted profanity or an obscenity. Or perhaps you’ve been a witness to such an event. How did you feel about what you heard? Probably not very good! I’ll bet at that moment you would have preferred being anyplace else but where you were. No one likes to be spoken to that way.

Are there people you know whose language is continually sprinkled with profanity, even in their normal conversations? How do you perceive them? How do you think a manager may feel about an employee using profanity that is overheard by a customer? I know of people who lost their jobs, or been past over for promotions, because of using profanity.

A person’s language, and the way they communicate, is a reflection of who they are. There’s never a need to resort to cussing or vulgarity to verbalize an idea. Dictionaries in every language are filled with words that are both descriptive and specific for any and every thought a person may wish to express.

The stresses of everyday life can wear down a person’s energy, and the sheer magnitude of daily tasks creates an underlying frustration. When our cup of patience is full, all it takes is one minor unexpected change or demand and we are off to the races with a string of words that might even surprise an old sailor.

Think about your own language. Have you fallen into bad habits? Profanity’s shock value only shocks the other person into thinking less of you, the speaker. Are you saying words you normally wouldn’t use if you had thought about them before speaking?

Bad habits can be corrected. Listen to how you talk. What words do you choose to use, especially when you’re angry, upset, or caught by surprise? If you find yourself using profanity, make a conscience effort to change.

Ask those who are close to you to help. Develop a code or sign language that can be used even around others, a signal to you that you’ve slipped into your old habit. By becoming aware, and making an effort to change, you’ll be surprised at how quickly even Mr. Webster of Webster’s Dictionary would be proud of you.

A classy person is articulate, and expresses thoughts, ideas and opinions using words that are not offensive to other people, regardless of whether these people are in the conversation, or just standing nearby.

I'm Looking forward to sending you another of my ClassyTips next Wednesday. Until then, have a great week, and don't forget to visit my Forum that answers your questions on 'Becoming the Best You Can Be'.

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