I don't think any of us really take notice of what power our words can have at any given moment. Yesterday I became lost in Springfield after getting off at the wrong bus stop. I waited an extra 10 minutes for the next bus alongside a blonde-haired women sporting a rather raggy Oregon shirt. She broke the silence that occupied us.
"Have you ever smoked?" she said.
"No, never as a habit as least," I replied.
She questioned how I did it - how I stopped myself from ever doing it as a habit. It's always been something that never appealed to me, and I told her that I didn't want to harm my body. I learned that the women's name was Patti, and her father had recently died of throat cancer. She asked me more questions and began sharing some tid bits of her life with me. It was almost as if she was simply trying to tell herself everything she needed to hear herself.
"What do you study, Spice?"
"Advertising. I'm trying to make it better."
She laughed, and told me to keep being the young, independent women I am.
As our 10 minutes drew to an end, I also told her about this one ad campaign that I always found so powerful. It's called "Dear Me," and the campaign simply focuses on the idea that "No one can make me quit, but me." I encouraged her to try writing herself a letter, and she accepted this advice with an honest smile.
I hope our conversation shined light on her efforts to quit smoking, and I wish Patti the best of luck.