Actions speak louder than words as the saying goes. I recently heard an inspiring story that demonstrated this point.
America Ferrera, the actor who played Ugly Betty on TV, said that she knew she wanted to act ever since she was a little girl. When she was nine years old she auditioned for the part of Oliver in the school play of the same name. There were not many female roles.
While she did not win that part, her 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Rodriguez, cast her as The Artful Dodger. The other girls auditioned for Nancy, the female lead.
By giving her the role America said that she knew Mrs. Rodriguez believed in her and that she could do anything she desired.
Mrs. Rodriguez did not have a talk with her conveying this belief. There was no need since her actions conveyed that message.
Years later America spoke of this as a defining moment in her life.
In today’s world we communicate a lot with words in email, blogs, text and on the phone, Facebook and Twitter (even though it is only 140 characters).
While it is important to not underestimate the significance of words, it is essential to remember that we say even more with our actions.