The words you choose are a powerful indicator of the message you are trying to deliver about yourself. When you speak in a manner that coincides with your values, people pay attention.

With the endless noise and barrage of voices vying for our attention, sounding like everyone else only adds to the conglomerate of that we are trying to filter. I look to the example of my dad who, as a mechanic, made a decision not to engage in “shop-talk.” His logic was he didn’t want to bring home that kind of language to his kids.

Hearing him curse was a moment to be noticed and an indicator that we had indeed crossed a major line. Mainly because it occurred only rarely.

Being mocked for using a word gone out of fashion (malarky is still my favourite) isn’t an indicator of a person locked in the past. It’s a call for remembering there is a vocabulary that exists outside of the current slang vernacular of the digital age.

It also gives personality to your character.