Actions Speak Louder Than Words

There has never been a more truthful statement/quote in the world. I truly, with my whole heart believe that. and here's why...

Words, to me, have never meant a lot; which is weird for someone who talks as much as I do AND I'm a communication major. But whatever, words are just words. Anybody can say anything and most people just use their words to get what they want (oh gosh, I sure am pessimistic, but that's another post for another day).

Obviously the big one that you're all thinking about is *I love you*, and I'll start with that but it goes soooo much deeper than that. My cousin sister once said to me that I use *love* too much ... I LOVE this song, I LOVE this person, I LOVE this place, when she didn't really think I LOVED all that stuff. Which is probably true ... no way I still LOVE that song that I was raving about (shit, I can't even remember what the song was and I remember the rest of that day as clear as day). And she's right, people throw that word and phrase around like it's nothing and I don't think people truly understand it's meaning.

To me, it's more important to show that you love me, love something, love a place. I honest to gosh LOVE New York and Company. I think they can be overpriced sometimes but I still shop there because I LOVE that store. I love how I feel in the clothes, I enjoy the shopping experience, and can use coupons to get the prices more manageable. So yea, I can say I LOVE NY & Co, mostly because I SHOW it.

Now I've never been in a relationship and therefore may not understand how important it is for your significant other to say *I love you* but from the outside looking in, I feel like it's more important to show it than to say it. How many stories have there been about women getting beat by the man who *loved them*? I'm sorry, you say you LOVE me but you beat me?! I would much rather you cook me dinner, rub my feet, or take me out and NOT say I love you than say I love you and beat me! Of course there are exceptions to every rule - there are people who say I love you and mean it and show it.

I think people get caught up in the huge-ness of that *step* in a realtionship and forget to look and see it shown. I truly believe that you can see that someone loves you long before they say those words. *I love you* can be shown better than it can be said.

Actions speak louder than words in the work place as well. Can I tell you how many times I was told while I was at Velocity how great I was? *Stacy, you do great work.* *You're an asset to this team* *I don't know what we would do without you, Stacy* Um, look where I am now - laid off, no job prospects and nope, never got a raise while I was there. Yes, it is GREAT to hear those words but after hearing them day in and day out with no results (promotion, money, bigger projects, etc.) you start to think, who cares. I think in the work place, people use words to bide time. The higher ups think that if they give you confidence that you'll think that that's okay instead of what you want ... bullshit.

It's happened at all my jobs - I can't just single out Velocity. When I worked with the basketball team, I was named MVP but when I graduated they gave the Dir of Bball Ops to someone else - she was OBV the MVP. My work with externals relations - most of it volunteer for free - was always praised yet when I graduated they waited a year to create a new position for someone else. Yes, it was a new position but read the job description and it's what I did for 3 years, mostly for free. Sweet.

In the work place a lot of it comes down to money so if you're going to say I'm great, show me by giving me some more money. Or how about showing you have confidence in me by increasing my work load ... that REALLY shows me that you think I'm great.

I think people should focus less on the words and more on their actions ... show me you love. show me care. show me you think I'm amazing. SHOW ME!

Smooches.
S