"My boyfriend sent me flowers".We use words everyday to share how we feel, to ask for something, to share our thoughts and to share in the lives of others. We choose our words so that what we want to say is effective and our thoughts are understood. Relationships, both personal and professional, require care, particularly when it comes to communication. A wrong word here or there can drive people away from you.We hear words through our experiences. "My boyfriend sent me flowers" may be received with a "great" or with a "bet he's trying to get out of the doghouse". Our upbringing, education, and past life experiences strongly influence who we are.Who we are impacts all our relationships. Our relationships influence our self-image. Our self-image affects our professional success as well as the way we walk, speak, and dress in everyday life.Recurring patterns can be changed. Only you are in charge of you. Nobody can hurt your feelings, it's all in your ability to control your emotional self and figure out how that particular button got pushed - and why you cared.Understanding how you choose your words and how others around you process words they hear can help your words be what you want them to be - effective.