{"id":1007,"date":"2021-10-18T21:02:38","date_gmt":"2021-10-19T01:02:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/?p=1007"},"modified":"2025-06-05T20:40:53","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T00:40:53","slug":"one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\/","title":{"rendered":"One Tiny Word, A Range of Powerful Choices"},"content":{"rendered":"

IF is a tiny word with great communication power…<\/h1>\n

When<\/em> IF is used properly to improve communication effectiveness!<\/h2>\n

But IF is not always the best word to use, however, we use it a lot<\/em>.<\/p>\n

For some people, IF is a sloppy habit like saying “yu know?” or “umm.”<\/p>\n

To make your point, IF can be the wrong word to include.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Making your point demands certainty about what your point is. There’s no IFs about that. There may be the positivity of a “when” involved, but there’s no room for IFs. “If we can…”<\/em> has no power, but “When we can…” is powerful commitment.<\/em><\/p>\n

And yet, when you use IF with deliberate intent to reveal the choices involved in your point, it is the only<\/em> word to use.<\/p>\n

In 1895, British Nobel-Prize-Winning writer Rudyard Kipling wrote the astonishing and thought-provoking poem, If.<\/em> There’s no better example of how powerful IF can be in the right context WHEN you think…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If<\/em><\/p>\n

by Rudyard Kipling<\/p>\n

If you can keep your head when all about you <\/em>
\nAre losing theirs and blaming it on you, <\/em>
\nIf you can trust yourself when all men [sic] doubt you,<\/em>
\nBut make allowance for their doubting too; <\/em>
\nIf you can wait and not be tired by waiting,<\/em>
\nOr being lied about, don\u2019t deal in lies,<\/em>
\nOr being hated, don\u2019t give way to hating,<\/em>
\nAnd yet don\u2019t look too good, nor talk too wise:<\/em><\/p>\n

If you can dream\u2014and not make dreams your master; <\/em>
\nIf you can think\u2014and not make thoughts your aim; <\/em>
\nIf you can meet with Triumph and Disaster<\/em>
\nAnd treat those two impostors just the same; <\/em>
\nIf you can bear to hear the truth you\u2019ve spoken<\/em>
\nTwisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,<\/em>
\nOr watch the things you gave your life to, broken,<\/em>
\nAnd stoop and build \u2019em up with worn-out tools:<\/em><\/p>\n

If you can make one heap of all your winnings<\/em>
\nAnd risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,<\/em>
\nAnd lose, and start again at your beginnings<\/em>
\nAnd never breathe a word about your loss;<\/em>
\nIf you can force your heart and nerve and sinew<\/em>
\nTo serve your turn long after they are gone, <\/em>
\nAnd so hold on when there is nothing in you<\/em>
\nExcept the Will which says to them: \u2018Hold on!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, <\/em>
\nOr walk with Kings\u2014nor lose the common touch,<\/em>
\nIf neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,<\/em>
\nIf all men count with you, but none too much;<\/em>
\nIf you can fill the unforgiving minute<\/em>
\nWith sixty seconds\u2019 worth of distance run, <\/em>
\nYours is the Earth and everything that\u2019s in it, <\/em>
\nAnd\u2014which is more\u2014you\u2019ll be a Man, my son!<\/em><\/p>\n

(Visionary Readability<\/em>: The Google-AI response to this poem is “The text contains 3 instances where 3 or more consecutive sentences start with the same word [If}. Try to mix things up!”)<\/p>\n

Here’s an example of how to fit thoughts from long ago, like the poem If<\/em>, into today’s first-time-in-history, high-pressure goings-on to make your point. The following 2021 post still rings true to demonstrate how even though we live in a vortex of change, not a lot changes:<\/p>\n

“IF” Buyers Can Keep Their Heads… <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

IF is a tiny word with great communication power… When IF is used properly to improve communication effectiveness! But IF is not always the best word to use, however, we use it a lot. For some people, IF is a sloppy habit like saying “yu know?” or “umm.” To make your point, IF can be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,72,138,65,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-box-free-thinking","category-client-retention","category-extreme-service-excellence","category-innovation-design","category-on-point-communication"],"yoast_head":"\nOne Tiny Word, A Range of Powerful Choices – What's Your Point? asks PJ Wade The Catalyst<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Making your point demands certainty about what your point is. No IFs about it. The positivity of a "when" may work---but no room for IFs.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"One Tiny Word, A Range of Powerful Choices – What's Your Point? asks PJ Wade The Catalyst\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Making your point demands certainty about what your point is. No IFs about it. The positivity of a "when" may work---but no room for IFs.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"What's Your Point? asks PJ Wade The Catalyst\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-10-19T01:02:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-06T00:40:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"PJ Wade\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"PJ Wade\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thecatalyst.com\\\/blog\\\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thecatalyst.com\\\/blog\\\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"PJ Wade\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thecatalyst.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3fb2944f05495f7bfb0abfe7362cebac\"},\"headline\":\"One Tiny Word, A Range of Powerful Choices\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-19T01:02:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-06T00:40:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thecatalyst.com\\\/blog\\\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":551,\"commentCount\":0,\"articleSection\":[\"Box-Free Thinking\",\"CLIENT RETENTION\",\"Extreme Service Excellence\",\"Innovation & Design\",\"ON POINT Communication\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thecatalyst.com\\\/blog\\\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thecatalyst.com\\\/blog\\\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thecatalyst.com\\\/blog\\\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\\\/\",\"name\":\"One Tiny Word, A Range of Powerful Choices – What's Your Point? asks PJ Wade The Catalyst\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thecatalyst.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-19T01:02:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-06T00:40:53+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thecatalyst.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3fb2944f05495f7bfb0abfe7362cebac\"},\"description\":\"Making your point demands certainty about what your point is. No IFs about it. The positivity of a \\\"when\\\" may work---but no room for IFs.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thecatalyst.com\\\/blog\\\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thecatalyst.com\\\/blog\\\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thecatalyst.com\\\/blog\\\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thecatalyst.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"One Tiny Word, A Range of Powerful Choices\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thecatalyst.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thecatalyst.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"What's Your Point? asks PJ Wade The Catalyst\",\"description\":\"Challenging Business Leaders & Professionals: "Cut The Crap, Hit The Mark & Stick!" with Those Who Matter!\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thecatalyst.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.thecatalyst.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3fb2944f05495f7bfb0abfe7362cebac\",\"name\":\"PJ Wade\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b1dcff1c437339e83fc71bf4cdd41a39fbeccca7f2eddc3a520d31cf5e9abaeb?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b1dcff1c437339e83fc71bf4cdd41a39fbeccca7f2eddc3a520d31cf5e9abaeb?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/b1dcff1c437339e83fc71bf4cdd41a39fbeccca7f2eddc3a520d31cf5e9abaeb?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"PJ Wade\"},\"description\":\"Futurist, Strategist, Educator & Speaker PJ Wade cleverly merges and purges communication essentials and emerging trends to share the best of both in innovative, practical terms. Author of books, articles, columns, and professional development programs, PJ\u2019s unique, age-free, borderless view of the future catalyzes others to embrace effective communication\u2014online and off\u2014with all its 21st-Century force. As a strategist and futurist, PJ discovered first-hand what holds individuals and organizations back, and what drives them to innovate. A thought-provoking speaker, writer, and catalyst, PJ is intent on sharing this knowledge and challenging others\u2014in business and in life\u2014to design their own brilliant future whatever their starting point.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.TheCatalyst.com\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"One Tiny Word, A Range of Powerful Choices – What's Your Point? asks PJ Wade The Catalyst","description":"Making your point demands certainty about what your point is. No IFs about it. The positivity of a \"when\" may work---but no room for IFs.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"One Tiny Word, A Range of Powerful Choices – What's Your Point? asks PJ Wade The Catalyst","og_description":"Making your point demands certainty about what your point is. No IFs about it. The positivity of a \"when\" may work---but no room for IFs.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\/","og_site_name":"What's Your Point? asks PJ Wade The Catalyst","article_published_time":"2021-10-19T01:02:38+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-06-06T00:40:53+00:00","author":"PJ Wade","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"PJ Wade","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\/"},"author":{"name":"PJ Wade","@id":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3fb2944f05495f7bfb0abfe7362cebac"},"headline":"One Tiny Word, A Range of Powerful Choices","datePublished":"2021-10-19T01:02:38+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-06T00:40:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\/"},"wordCount":551,"commentCount":0,"articleSection":["Box-Free Thinking","CLIENT RETENTION","Extreme Service Excellence","Innovation & Design","ON POINT Communication"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\/","url":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\/","name":"One Tiny Word, A Range of Powerful Choices – What's Your Point? asks PJ Wade The Catalyst","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2021-10-19T01:02:38+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-06T00:40:53+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3fb2944f05495f7bfb0abfe7362cebac"},"description":"Making your point demands certainty about what your point is. No IFs about it. The positivity of a \"when\" may work---but no room for IFs.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/one-tiny-word-a-range-of-powerful-choices\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"One Tiny Word, A Range of Powerful Choices"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/","name":"What's Your Point? asks PJ Wade The Catalyst","description":"Challenging Business Leaders & Professionals: "Cut The Crap, Hit The Mark & Stick!" with Those Who Matter!","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3fb2944f05495f7bfb0abfe7362cebac","name":"PJ Wade","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b1dcff1c437339e83fc71bf4cdd41a39fbeccca7f2eddc3a520d31cf5e9abaeb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b1dcff1c437339e83fc71bf4cdd41a39fbeccca7f2eddc3a520d31cf5e9abaeb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b1dcff1c437339e83fc71bf4cdd41a39fbeccca7f2eddc3a520d31cf5e9abaeb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"PJ Wade"},"description":"Futurist, Strategist, Educator & Speaker PJ Wade cleverly merges and purges communication essentials and emerging trends to share the best of both in innovative, practical terms. Author of books, articles, columns, and professional development programs, PJ\u2019s unique, age-free, borderless view of the future catalyzes others to embrace effective communication\u2014online and off\u2014with all its 21st-Century force. As a strategist and futurist, PJ discovered first-hand what holds individuals and organizations back, and what drives them to innovate. A thought-provoking speaker, writer, and catalyst, PJ is intent on sharing this knowledge and challenging others\u2014in business and in life\u2014to design their own brilliant future whatever their starting point.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.TheCatalyst.com"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1007"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1007\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1098,"href":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1007\/revisions\/1098"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}