Now That's Awesome!

The Grand Canyon.

The Northern Lights.

The Opening Ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The miracle of birth.

Any miracle, really.

These are things that are “awesome.” That is to say, they inspire awe.

“Awe,” according to my little American Heritage Dictionary that I’ve had since the sixth grade is, “an emotion of mingled reverence, dread, and wonder. Respect tinged with fear.” (My much-more-grown-up OED says pretty much the same thing, but longer.)

A cup of coffee is not awesome. It may be fragrant, warm, desired, energizing or delicious, but it is not awesome. Sleeping in on a Saturday is not awesome. Luxurious, sensual, restful, pleasurable, wanton...yes. Awesome? No.

I realize my Inner School Marm is showing, and I’m sorry I sound so pedantic, but honestly, I’m at my wit’s end. There’s this glorious word in the English language that describes a very particular kind of feeling and it has been over-used and debased until now it means...nothing at all.

In his book “Skinny Legs And All,” Tom Robbins writes:

“The inability to correctly perceive reality is often responsible for humans’ insane behavior. And every time they substitute an all-purpose, sloppy slang word for the words that would accurately describe an emotion or a situation, it lowers their reality orientations, pushes them further from shore, out onto the foggy waters of alienation and confusion.”

Exactly.

Using the same word to describe a host of different feelings, situations or objects is tantamount to insanity. After all, if I described everything as “blue” you would think I was crazy. “Only blue things are blue!” you would protest. And you would be right. And only things that inspire awe are awesome.

Now, I'm not suggesting that everyone walk around sounding like a word-for-the-day calendar. There are plenty of everyday words and phrases that are evocative, descriptive and precise, and they are just waiting for you to use them as a refreshing antidote to all of the overused words in our culture.

(And as I'm sure you've noticed, the ability to accurately describe yourself, your products and services as well as your competitors is key to growing your business. Let clarity be the quality that sets you apart.)

So challenge yourself to BE PRECISE in your descriptions. Next time you feel the word “awesome” about to slip out, pause a moment and think, “what’s the word that truly and accurately describes how I’m feeling?” and use that word instead. Or just force yourself to go one step further in your assessment and ask yourself, “I think that thing is so awesome because I find it so _________.”

After a while, you’ll get good at this and enjoy your own trenchant observations. You’re probably already good at this - you’re a very creative person, after all.

Not only are you a creative person, but your creative power is, in point of fact, awesome.

So what words do you love? What words are you over-using?