Before we can answer “What if…?”
Ask whose words are answering.
Three words caused a communication collision that nearly cost a young woman her life. Her story saved mine.
Not because I have all the right words. I don’t. I simply can’t unsee the weight we carry from the wrong ones. School taught us how to use words—Not how they use us.
Nobody carries “sticks and stones…” We carry words.
Assumptions say, “We can’t.”
Perceptions, “We shouldn’t”
Beliefs, “We’re not.”
Creating the sentences that tell others, “You too.”
WHY ME?
Carrying the weight of words or sentences? We all do.
That’s WORDload—Share yours anonymously here
Not because I have all the answers. I don’t. I simply can’t unsee the weight we carry from the wrong ones.
We believed, “Actions speak louder…”
When they’re only as good as the sentences making the decision how to act.
"I can’t…” prevents trying.
“I shouldn’t…” exploring.
“I’m not...” growing.
“You aren’t…” others from doing the same.
Change is hard and leaves people, teams, leaders, and organizations asking, “Why can’t I just…?”
Transforming sentences isn’t and leaves people, teams, leaders, and organizations asking, “Why didn’t I just…”
WHY KEEP READING?
Not because I’m perfect. I’m not. I simply can’t unsee the weight we carry from trying to be.
If we’re taught “Nobody’s perfect…” why are we exhausted trying to be? The WORDwreck comparison—it’s hard to remember everyone has failed.
WORDlabs starts upstream - before WORDwrecks or communication collisions occur.
"I can’t…” becomes “Instead, I can…”
“I shouldn’t…” — “I could however…”
“I’m not…” — “I’m able to…”
“You aren’t…” evolves into, “If you’d like, we can…”
Labels removed. Identity restored. Purpose regained.
Upstream edits, before downstream results. That’s WORDlabs.
“The definition of insanity is continuing to do the same things over and over, and expect different results. — author unkown
Like a dog returning to its vomit-is a fool returning to their folly. — King Solomon”
WHY WORDlabs?
Check out the WORDwall here.Real wordwrecks from real people. WORDload we didn’t know about, carried by friends, neighbors, and co-workers.
FOLLOW FOR MORE HERE
Where did WORDlabs start? Instead of a classroom, a parking lot, between the doors of a hospital and my truck after my own words collided. A story made me pause and recognize how words build up, or tear down. And the wreckage my own had done to myself and others. You aren’t seeing a mis-spelling. In my truck, this project started as RE|. The prefix means “again,” the vertical pipe offers permission to pause. It became a mental cue I continue to use.
QuickWord: “Scott, when we talk…I know I’m safe.” Mario H. — San Antonio, TX
Why? I pulled a string and began noticing the price tags of words — conflict, fear, division, anxiety affecting performance, relationships, mental health, and faith. It’s not about perfect words. The question is whether we’re making our first draft the final word…or someone else’s. The bigger question? Whether they were our words to begin with—or did someone else give them to us.
What makes you think you’re qualified? Love this question— it proves how fast words work and what they decide before we notice. You can read more about me below. My answer? Nope, not qualified. The sleepless nights studying, learning, and writing about words and praying prove I have a long way to go—so does some of my early writing. The good news — My words aren’t the ones that matter most…The ones you’re carrying are.
**The AI question falls here. It does none of my writing, concepts, responses, or WORDshops or microlabs. I don’t want to lose my voice — whether it’s great or not. (I’ll write more about this with The Ariel Effect—as in the mermaid.) It is an effective editor for grammar, punctuation, and word flow and density. It also helps research. AI does not recognize my terms (wordload, wordwrecks, wordstrength, RE|) anyway, therefore it’s essentially very little help outside of the basics.
Education: I followed my passion / skill for screwing up graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Complicating Cornflakes, with a minor in WTH Happened. I followed it with a Master’s in Why do I keep Repeating This and continue to work toward a PhD in Dude…Seriously, Man. In other words, I’m just a guy. Nothing flashy, just blessed with the ability to connect, ask questions, and listen.
RE|stated: I attended Lawrence High School and University of Central Oklahoma where I earned a 3.92…It’s just not as funny.
RE|framed: The better conversation is how did I graduate in the top 10% of my high school (600 students,) and scored a 3.92 in college...while in between earning an impressive 0.25 G.P.A my freshman first semester?
Career: Military police. Thirty years across two major industries where words were commodities, serving, leading, and mentoring both operations and sales teams as well as leaders and future leaders. I’ve scaled national initiatives in Fortune 50 companies, grown customers and revenue, won awards and recognition. Failed, been stressed, burned out, and hated the ping and ring of my work cell. Just like everybody else.
RE|stated: I catastrophize creating anxiety, fear, and even paralysis by analysis — then was blessed to use my weakness as a strength, recognizing and solving small problems upstream, before they became cataclysmic consequences downstream. It saved me time, energy, and heartache while adding immense value (and revenue) to both my clients and companies I worked for.
RE|framed: Favorite job? Repo’ing cars. I learned really, really fast how to talk to people. No, I never carried a weapon. I trusted my words. It was a blast.
Current: I stepped aside because of conviction. I noticed that division starts with distortion. At home and work, in our mental health and faith. It started with my own faith. Personally, I put my trust in Jesus Christ, my RE|deemer (ironically, also called The Word (John 1.1)) Sin didn’t start with a bite of apple in the Garden. It started with distorted words THEN finished with an action. Professionally, that became WORDlabs — Finding the distorted sentences separating people, families, teams, leaders, and organizations from their vision, goals, purpose, and identity. Instead of deconstruction, RE|construction.
It’s grown to consist of RE|visions, weekly writings, posts, and comments. And WORDshops, highly interactive micro-labs for 1:1 conversations and group, team, and organization presentations.
RE|stated: I’m not a therapist or a pastor. This is not counseling. I’m an editor and simply noticed a pattern. We’re taught people can’t, won’t or don’t change. Invest time and energy trying to change them or ourselves. Ending up frustrated when they / we fall back into bad habits. So we give up.
All before knowing or noticing the words, sentences, and stories we’re carrying — that decide whether we will…or won’t.
RE|framed: That was a lot — Bottom line? We can’t revise history. We can’t tell the future.
We’re left to decide whether how our sentences answer “What if…” Or if a RE|vision is necessary.
PERSONAL: Recent transplant to San Antonio from the Kansas City area. Married to Alyson, my “gorgeous gurrffrenn” with three wonderful kids, spread across the country. Two dogs — Penny our pittie mix, and Fuji, our…something else.
Favorites: Word? Freedom. Sentence? “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Travel? Japan — also a great conversation. Volunteer? Red Cross, Prison Fellowship, San Antonio Foster Care System MySocial Feed? Snoopy, sumo, soccer, dog and cat vids, whatever reels my wife sends, and a guy with a goat. Best days? The day I turned my life to Christ, The days my kids were born. My wedding day. The worst? I worked the Oklahoma City Bombing.