IALAC

IALAC is a term I learned in a class in high school. It stands for I Am Lovable And Capable. Whenever  people are criticized for no good reason or put down in some way, a little of their IALAC is lost. For some people, by the end of the day little or no IALAC  is left.

As an experiment, everybody in class wore a paper badge with IALAC on it for the rest of the day. Every time someone said something that hurt, that implied we weren't lovable or capable, we needed to rip a piece off the paper badge. That day we all learned that the old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is false. Words don't leave bruises, but the wounds they leave on a person's spirit may never heal.

How often do my words hurt people? Do I stop to think before I speak? Do I say hurtful things on purpose? Do I ask myself how it would make me feel if someone said something like that to me? Words, once spoken, can never be taken back. No matter how times I apologize to someone, it can't undo the damage thoughtless words have caused.

The Golden Rule "Do unto to others as you would have them do unto you" is the best way to deal with other people. If I remind myself constantly of that, I'll be less likely to use careless words that will damage another person's IALAC.

I also need to remember that God sees me as lovable and capable. I can't let circumstances allow me to see myself as anything less than a loved and cherished daughter of the Most High.

I'm going to do my best - with God's help - not to damage another person's IALAC again.