Dan Strutzel - 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary: The 500 Words You Need to Know to Transform Your Vocabulary and Your Life

30 DAYS TO A MORE POWERFUL VOCABULARY

30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary

Dan Strutzel

Published 2018 by Gildan Media LLC

aka G&D Media

www.GandDmedia.com

Copyright 2015, 2018 Dan Strutzel

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means, (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. No liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained within. Although every precaution has been taken, the author or publisher assumes no liability for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

ISBN: 978-1-7225-0035-1

eISBN: 978-1-7225-2097-7

DEDICATION

For my mom, who taught me the power of words,

my dad, who inspired me daily with words,

and my wife and three children,

for whom my love is beyond words.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

For over 40 years, Ive had the privilege of teaching some of the most successful professionals across the globe how to achieve greater success and happiness in their careers and in their personal lives. Throughout these years, I have noticed, with very few exceptions, that they all share a common trait. It is the trait that my late friend and mentor, Earl Nightingale, called The One Thing You Cannot Hide. That trait is an extensive vocabulary. They have a collectionthink of it as a great tool chestof words that they use to become world-class communicators, and to achieve the goals that they strive for in life. They use these words to negotiate great deals, to persuade their customers to make buying decisions, to inspire their employees to achieve their companys mission, to connect in an intimate way with their spouses, and to encourage their children to have faith in themselves. A great vocabulary contains the building blocks for a great life. That is why I am very excited to introduce you to this book from Gildan Media, 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary. The author of this program is a man Ive known for over 20 years, and is a veteran of the personal development industry, Mr. Dan Strutzel. As the Vice President of Publishing at The Nightingale-Conant Corporation, Dan was responsible for publishing some of my most successful audio and video programs. Additionally, Dan has worked up close and personal with several hundred personal development authors and speakerssome of the most gifted communicators in the world. Dan had a unique opportunity to study their communication habits, and as a great communicator with an extensive vocabulary himself, he was responsible for making those top communicators even better. I am convinced that hell be able to do the same for YOU. A graduate of The University of Notre Dame, and currently the President of Inspire Productions, Dan is uniquely qualified to inspire you to build a rich and dynamic vocabulary of your own.

Brian Tracy

Professional coach and author of over 300 professional development programs including Get Smart! and No Excuses: The Power of Self-Discipline.

CHAPTER 1

WHY PEOPLE WITH A DYNAMIC VOCABULARY ARE SMARTER, WEALTHIER AND HAPPIER

W ords. Theyre the foundation of nearly everything of value in our world. They have the power to create, and the power to destroy. The power to inspire and to terrify. The power to enlighten, and also to obscure. In the beginning was the wordthis is the opening sentence of the Gospel of John in the New Testament. The word was with God, the scripture continues, and then concludes, The word was God. You cant go any farther than that in acknowledging the power of words.

Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address included only 272 words, yet it helped to unify a divided nation during the Civil War and heralded an end of the cruel practice of slavery. On the other side of the spectrum, the 35,000-word manifesto of the Unabomber provided a glimpse into the evil mind of a murderer, and presented its readers with a fearful vision of a technology-driven future.

The truth is, just about every everything human beings have ever created began as an idea, whose fulfillment was then made possible by a precise selection of words. Words of description, words of inspiration, plans expressed in words, dreams expressed in words, and words of triumph or tragedy. A poor choice of words can have a practical effect in building a skyscraper or flying an airplane, just as words can make or break the most important relationships in our lives. Although you may not have given it much thought, your life has been deeply influenced by the words youve spoken or words youve heard or read.

The goal of this book is to make you aware of the power of words, and to help you put that power to use in the most important areas of your life. Youll be asked to give this some attention and concentration, but youll see that the results are very worthwhile. Thats because a better vocabularya larger and more useful inventory of wordswill make you smarter and wealthier in the very near future, and happier, starting right now.

If that seems like an overstatement, consider this: words are the raw material the building blocksof lifes greatest fulfillment, which is our relationship with other people. Executive Coach and Personal Development Expert Jim Fannin makes this point brilliantly in his discussion of what he calls The 90-Second Rule.

To illustrate the 90-Second Rule, Jim uses the example of someone coming home after a hard day at work. Whats the first thing people say when they walk in the door and see their spouse or significant other? The temptation is to immediately narrate all the problems, frustrations, distractions, disappointments, and other challenges that took place during the day. Many people arent even aware of the damage this can do. They just go ahead and unload.

Or, if theyre a bit more self-aware, they restrain themselves by shutting down. They say they want to unwind. They want to have some alone time. Instead of releasing all their troubles on anyone whos there to listen, they choose instead to shut everyone out.

With this is in mind, Jim Fannin makes a very simple but profound suggestion: For the first 90 seconds after you walk in the door, focus 100 percent on the other person. Make a conscious decision to hear their concerns first. And most importantly, use the power of words to show how glad you are to see them, how much you love them, and how they impact your life for the better.

Its a very insightful idea and a very helpful one. But what are the tools youll need to put the 90-Second Rule into action? Words are the tools. Words are the means for changing a tense and toxic situation into something very different. Carefully chosen words spoken in a caring way over just 90-seconds can bring profound, positive changes to an important relationship.

Yes, words are vital to emotional fulfillmentand also to success in business or a careerin dealing with professionals such as doctors and lawyersand in virtually any other form of human contact. But most people pay almost no attention to the words they use or dont use. Outside of any English courses they took in school or any light reading they may do, most people have little interest and no real training in making their collection of wordstheir vocabularythe very best it can be.