Speak your truth. Maximize the power of your voice and deepen your connection with loved ones, colleagues, customers, and those who are unlike you. The stories, reflections, and activities in this book empower you to choose words true to your values and your intentions. The Words We Choose: Your Guide to How and Why Words Matter transforms what you think in your head to align with how you feel in your heart, for the greater good of all. Your voice is a choice. “Communication is a leader’s most important skill. It’s at the heart of our ability to influence and engage others. The words we choose (and the tone behind them) determine how well we manage relationships and attract and retain talent. Word choices impact how quickly and efficiently we, and our teams, execute on goals. Our words affect how people feel, and how they feel drives how they act. Ultimately, our words shape our culture. Terre says, ‘The voice is a choice.’ I love this. Yet, I realize few leaders get training in this area. This book is a blueprint for realizing how what you say impacts others and how to make needed changes. It’s filled with tools and tactics to help you get intentional about saying things in a way that promotes optimal impact. Get this book for everyone in your organization. It’s like rocket fuel for transforming and accelerating results.” —Quint Studer, Founder, Studer Community Institute, and author of 10 books; most recently Wall Street Journal bestseller, The Busy Leader’s Handbook: How to Lead People and Places That Thrive“Three hundred years ago the Baal Shem Tov taught that each of us is born with a fixed number of words to speak; when the last is spoken we die. The question you must ask yourself before you speak is this: Am I willing to die for these words? Terre Short’s The Words We Choose helps you answer that question wisely.” —Rabbi Rami Shapiro, Author of Open Secrets: The Letters of Reb Yerachmiel ben Yisrael To offset the printing of this book, $.05 for every book purchased is donated to TreeSisters.org, a non-profit organization that plants over a million trees a year through engaging women in leadership. Every ten books plants a tree.