Buzzword Bingo

So, I sit here watching the AFL game rooting for our San Diego Chargers.
(I will pause long enough to let you catch your breath that A). I am in the same room while a televised football game is on; B).I am actually cheering for an NFL team).

Okay.
So, one of the cool things about sports shows--especially for important games--are the really cool commercials that advertisers pay beaucoup bucks to air.

Of course, one of my favorite sets of commercials are the PC vs. Mac series with those two lovable actors and the witty dialogue. My other favorites are of course, anything to do with animals. A couple of cute ones today even though it included the tie-ins to drinking beer. And the Geico insurance spots using celebs in the background while a real customer tells their story, usually brings a chuckle.

Today, the series of IBM commercials are what caught my attention. I commend IBM for tackling head-on the inside humor of corporate world vs. real world. One commercial has a group of workers on the floor "ideating" (read that has meditating/brainstorming/visioning to most of us) as their creative process. And a second spot shows workers playing a game called, Buzzword Bingo throughout their work day whereby they mark their game card every time someone uses a now common, buzz word ("innovative", "out-of-the-box") instead of regular words to communicate.

Wouldn't this be a good idea for many of our RS churches? As a teacher of Religious Science when I train my practitioners, I work to break them of the habit of only using our jargon and buzz words so that they can communicate and be of support to people just coming to our church and learning about Science of Mind. Let me say at the outset, it ain't easy. No matter what the business or industry, each of us get used to using language that is familiar and indicative of our product or service. When trying to teach or speak to "newbies" using phrases like "The Law" or " go within..." or "makes his transition" can be confusing if not downright off-putting.

The passion and respect I have for words and vocabulary keeps me on my toes so that I make efforts to use words that are clear and easily translatable. (Think Mr. Spock: being able to translate from one language to another so that people feel heard and can understand). Not to mention, my predilection towards correcting cliches such as "kill two birds with one stone". (Can you hear what a horrific statement that is? Yes, I know we have all used that since we were kids but that doesn't make it a right or a good phrase to perpetuate.)

An aphorism that is popular in New Thought teachings is, "Thoughts become things, choose the good ones." And I say, words become thoughts, choose the good ones. Choose the ones that bring comfort, inspire passion and express joy.

This IBM commercial has inspired me to pay attention (again) to what I say and how I use my vocabulary. I might need a bit of a tune-up. I still wish I could somehow rewind society and eliminate the word "like" when it is used in a descriptive, Valley-girl manner. Like, you know, if you don't really have the right word to describe something, it becomes like a really hard puzzle that you don't have all the right clues for, and like you wait till you can sneak a peek at the answers and like find a way to make a run-on sentence like the coolest thing you've ever heard?

Yep. Bingo.