I would venture to say most of us have heard this phrase at least once in our lives, and if I had to guess, probably many times. For many of us, we almost become numb to it because we’ve heard it so many times but it just didn’t have relevance to our lives. The truth is that it’s a very true statement. Our actions speak louder than words. It doesn’t matter what you say or how many times you say it, it doesn’t mean anything if your actions don’t demonstrate the same thing.
In reflecting on my own life, I can look back and recall instances where I’ve said things I really thought were true but my actions didn’t support what I was saying. Maybe deep down I didn’t feel or believe the things I was saying, but I believe I did. I just had unresolved issues that got in the way. Either way, the message that must have come across was that I didn’t feel or believe what I was saying because my actions showed something different. I try to be very careful with my words so I say what I mean and don’t say what I don’t mean, so this was difficult for me. It can be hard to take a step back from our current situations and try to see things from someone else’s perspective but it’s incredibly important to do. It’s how we communicate effectively and ensure the message we are trying to send is being received the way we intended it.
Part of living authentically is to look at the things we are saying and then evaluate whether our actions are in alignment with that or not. If they are not, our actions will always speak louder than our words. Be mindful of the things you are saying and be sure you are prepared to demonstrate that with your actions. It’s difficult to take someone’s word at face value if their words and their actions are incongruent.
See related posts: Choose Your Words Carefully
