Have you ever thought about how powerful your voice can be? I don't just mean speaking to other people, but rather your thoughts and ideas. There is great power in what you say. Even the Bible mentions the power of the tongue: "Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!" (James 3:5 KJV).

It's easy to start thinking that your thoughts do not matter. The small fish in a big pond mentality begins to take control. For myself, even walking around the campus of UND or even sitting in a lounge watching the diverse crowds pass by makes me think about how small I truly feel. It's easy to believe your voice can be drowned out by the mass of humanity. When I started thinking about what to write for this article, I began to wonder about who would even read what I write? Who is my target audience? Who will even care? I had to think about it for quite some time. Then it hit me.

It doesn't matter.

The last time I checked, thinking before you speak can apply to anyone and everyone. Common decency and politeness can and should apply to everyone. Thinking, believe it or not, is a skill that can be applied by everyone. Especially in today's world where Facebook, Snapchat and Youtube have become the primary source of "confident bulldozing," stating your opinion with no regard of evidence or the any other opinion. Technology and instant information begins to take the place of the spoken, thoughtful word. An angry comment turns into an intensified debate; often where the two parties have never even seen each other, and never would have if it weren't for social media.

"If we understood the power of our thoughts, we would guard them more closely. If we understood the awesome power of our words, we would prefer silence to almost anything negative. In our thoughts and words, we create our own weaknesses and our own strengths. Our limitations and joys begin in our hearts." - Betty Eadie, author of Embraced by the Light (1992)

We truly live in an era that has never been experienced before by mankind. A time period where information is at our very fingertips. Anything you could ever want to know can be answered by the simple phrase of "Google it," and what do we use it for? A casual scroll, a judgment of a friend, and before you know it, a word. Certainly we take it for granted that our speech can be viewed almost instantly in today's world. I implore you, don't let that thought pass by, and the world will become a better place because of it.

“Five percent of the people think; ten percent of the people think they think; and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think.” - Thomas Edison

Be one of the five percent!