I am so thankful for the many ways positive words have encouraged me in my life. What you hear is what you speak. Think of it this way, how people have been treated, is often how they treat others. It applies not only to words, but to actions. What I find admirable is when you find someone who has lived with negative words, or been treated poorly in their life by parents or whomever, who really make an effort never to act or speak like they have been treated in their past. Counselors and psychologists will tell us that it is really rare for someone who has been raised in a totally negative environment to take a 180 degree turn and act exactly the opposite. It definitely takes an act of the will, but also takes the power of God. When you see someone who was raised in an angry environment really make an effort to act and react another way, you know it is going against the world’s prediction for that person’s life. As much as we know the truth of the saying “hurt people, hurt people”, it doesn’t have to be that way for the believer. If we have been hurt, we can make a choice to walk in forgiveness, and then change directions. That is what happens in salvation, we make a choice to change direction. If you know someone who is trying to overcome negativity in their own life, and are working to live the opposite of how they were treated, encourage them with your words. It is no easy task, and your encouragement may be just what they need to keep trying. Old patterns are hard to break, but it is possible with the power of God, and words of encouragement from a thoughtful friend.