“Words can never describe your feelings, only point you towards them.” Those were the words of the Grasshopper early this morning.

As I wrote a few blog posts ago, “I have yet to discover the collection of words that can describe a feeling.” But that doesn’t keep us from trying to find those descriptors.

Think of a doctor’s visit you’ve had in the past where you were vaguely describing a set of feelings attempting to give the physician something to go on so they could make their diagnosis and prescribe a remedy. If you weren’t feeling so poorly, the scene could be comical.

Yet, we’ve all read something that provoked a set of feelings within us that caused us to get emotional. That same collection of words may have pointed another reader, not to overt emotion, but to action.

The point of this is that words point you in a direction, but not necessarily in the same direction.

Advertising attempts to persuade with words as do politicians, preachers and pundits. The ones who are successful find the words that appeal, not to your head, but your heart. Your head is not going to lead you to the ballot box, the promised land or to a new position that’s just been factually outlined, but your heart will.

There’s not a list of magic words that can lead you to your heart but there are words that won’t. These non persuasive words are usually concrete assertions – words that tell people “how things are” according to you. They have little chance of plucking the heart strings.

Factual information rarely makes the sale.

So, I’ve just laid out a bunch of assertions that you may find interesting but are incapable of moving you out of your head into your heart.

Which set of words in this post resonated most with you? My guess is the story of visiting the doctor. Those words pointed you in a direction via a story, and stories lead you to your heart.

I invite us all to offer more stories and less of our storied opinions and we’ll have found a pointed way towards someone’s heart.

All the best,

John