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3 I The Best Online Education System in the world
WORDS STOP WHERE ACTIONS BEGIN
Kathlyn Q. Barrozo
Class of 1991, University of Santo Tomas
B.S. Medical Technology
The ability to take action and not waste effort on mere grandstanding and oratorical prowess is something we
need today. In fact, that is something the whole world needs now. People who are willing to walk the talk seem
to be few and far between, simply because we have become too ensconced in our personal comfort zones to
even lift a finger and spring into action. Actions speak louder than words, and no amount of rhetoric can ever
match the power of solid action. In my line of work, it is tempting and easy to come out with words that
persuade and those that inspire. However, unless I myself am willing to invest more into making those words
stick, all that I have ever done will ultimately amount to nothing at all. Believe me when I say that the path I
have chosen is never a smooth one. In fact, I have often found out that saying something is very different from
actually doing it.
In our day-to-day existence, we are all faced with tests on how sincere we are to the words we issue or the
things we declare that we adhere to. We can control our words. But our actions are more controlled by the
conviction to act on those words. Unless we put conviction behind the words that we utter, there can never be
genuineness, sincerity and honesty in them. We need to say what we feel at certain times, but we must place a
guard over our own mouths that we do not say things we are not quite ready to stand for. Some things are also
easier said than done, so to make a pledge or a promise in a halfhearted manner does not make one a better
person. In fact, such people do not deserve the time of day to be listened to, much less heard.
We all need to face the consequences of our words, much like we need to face the consequences of our actions.
Words and actions must work together to make us what we are. Our personalities are perceived by the very
words we say, and our personalities get clearer definition by the very actions we take. We can never testify to
being perfect, but we can do our utmost to make our actions speak for our own selves. The journey to
achieving self-perfection is never an easy one to take, but we can all strive to make that journey wonderful,
enriching and eventually fulfilling as long as we are focused on the goal and consistent in even the tiniest
actions. The journey is not the goal, but that does not mean that we shouldn’t enjoy that trip and make it
exclusively ours.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Actions speak louder than words. Explain this saying.
2. Why is it a problem for many people to mean what they say?
3. How good are you at acting on what you say? Cite specific examples, as needed.
4. How do you simplify complex actions? Is there a formula, perhaps?
5. Why do people with a lot of hot air and no substance at all turn others off? In what way?