Mastering Subtlety

Words matter.

The human brain unleashes its full potential after birth thanks to the use of words, which throw the doors of the human mind fully open. Words forge the links among our neurons that connect us to our world, ourselves, and, most importantly, those around us—past, present, and future generations. Every one of us can recall words someone has said to us, for us, or about us, even if we've long since forgotten their source.

Consider the life of Malcolm X (né Malcolm Little). As a young man in and out of jail, he decided to elevate his future by learning every word in the jail library's dictionary, beginning with "A" and ending with "zyzzyva" (look it up). He surreptitiously stole time from sleep at night, reading from pages lit only by the dim light at the far end of his cell block. "When I get out, I'm not ever coming back." Admire or hate his politics, but make it a point to read his remarkable essay, A Homemade Education. It remains a testament to the atomic power hidden within otherwise innocuous words.

Words, when arranged in a certain sequence, carry perhaps the greatest power of all. Imagine standing at the back of the room in the Pennsylvania State House during the 1700s, listening to Benjamin Franklin carefully put forth his counterargument to a group of angry colleagues debating the formation of a new nation: "I may be mistaken, but it seems to me…." History has proven time and again that it's not just what you say; it's how you say it. You don't have to be a wordsmith—you just need to know how to connect.

American presidents are among those with the highest recorded vocabularies (yes, even the one you dislike the most). In contrast, inmates in the United States penal system have, on average, the lowest recorded vocabularies. This disparity does not speak to human value or ethics; it reflects societal power, influence, and connection. Having been sent on missions based on how effectively I could communicate, I've spent my life studying nearly every shade of individual words—and, more importantly, how to order them in every conceivable circumstance: explaining the simplest medical concepts to informing a family at the scene that their precious daughter is gone.

How we put words together matters.

The first duty of a communicator is to communicate. What little I know about this has been forged in the furnace of trial and error. Now comes a powerful, ethical, priceless resource from one of the most remarkable people I've ever been privileged to know. From my first visit with Bradley Tompkins over thirty years ago, I knew I would always be learning from him. His many facets have never failed to amaze or benefit me, and I've shared his influence with colleagues across the globe.

Now it's your turn. As you turn this page, you'll enter a palace adorned with simple yet exquisite truths, ready to present themselves in the most welcoming way. Sit down quietly and absorb the first chapter. Between the sentences, you'll meet the docent—the curator—who has made it his life's work to escort you to your next level, filling you with a gift that will overflow into your own life and touch the lives of others.

The presentation is intentionally secular; the reward you're about to receive and share is divine.