The Power of Words

We are moving.

There. I said it.

For the last month we were selling our house. Then for the last few weeks, we were buying our house, but now…we are moving.

Big deal, huh? People move everyday, and I can recant a thousand reasons why it is a great thing:

  • It’s tough to sell a house in this market.
  • The kids are going to “love” the neighborhood.
  • It’s a great place to raise a family.
  • The house has a POOL!

But the one thing missing makes the whole list fall apart.

You see, every home that I’ve bought has always received the endorsement, however ludicrous, of my dad. At 18 when I had the wild idea to move out of town and purchase a nine-bedroom house to renovate, my dad said, “Great idea! I think it will build character.” Despite the fact that we actually heard gun shots on our walk-through, his stamp was all I needed to triumph.

Then when we moved back to town to be near my family, he walked through and said, “I think that’s the one.” It didn’t matter that he had reservations about the number of bedrooms–or that the wall had a cracks–or a million other things. He always gave sound judgment first, but he encouraged me in the answer that he ultimately knew I was going to make.

I’m convinced that he could encourage a squirrel to believe it was a duck, and that made his words so powerful to speak into so many people’s lives (see this post I wrote a few years ago). When you don’t hear that one voice that matters so much, it’s so much easier to hear the voices that don’t really matter.

So, we’re moving. Obviously, we are moving from one house to another, but I am also moving…

…to a place where my voice echoes those velvet words of encouragement.

…to a place where his voice is not forgotten but echoed into the next era.

…to carry on a rich legacy.


Jeremy Floyd

Jeremy Floyd is the President at FUNYL Commerce. Formerly, he was the CEO and President of Lirio, Bluegill Creative, a marketing and communications firm in Knoxville, Tennessee. In addition to managing the digital strategies, Floyd was an adjunct professor for the University of Tennessee Chattanooga MBA program teaching digital strategies and social media. Floyd blogs at jeremyfloyd.com and tweets under the name @jfloyd. Jeremy is licensed to practice law in the State of Tennessee and holds a law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from MTSU in English and Philosophy.

  • Vickie

    Dear sweet Jeremy…he is there with you because you allowed him to be there in the past! That trust in him at an early age gave you all you needed to grow as an adult.  Thank goodness he gave you wings to fly, instead of holding you down.  That has made all the difference!  What a lucky boy you were…are…to have him in your life…even today!  Good luck with the move…onward and upward!

  • Tim Bickers

    What a dad. He was the man. Even in the few encounters I had with him, he made such a strong, powerful impression on me.

    It’s cool to see you take up the torch and carry on his legacy.

    I’ll look forward to seeing the new place one of these days!

  • Doug Floyd

    Cool dude

  • Doug Floyd

    Cool dude

  • E Hayes78

    I think one of the greatest thing a parent can teach a child is to trust themselves. It’s so easy for a parent to make a decisions for their kids but in the long run it does them no good. Your dad did the job right. I’m sure he is up there smiling (and telling a story or two).

  • KIM_LAUTH

    Loved this.  We carry the need for our parents validation for a long time, not realizing that what they were doing was teaching us to trust ourselves.

  • Indeed, thanks Vickie!

  • Yeah, Tim. Come on out brother. What’s it going to take to get you out here?

  • 🙂

  • Indeed, what a storyteller he was. Thanks Erin.

  • Wow Kim, Thanks. Such a tough lesson for both parents and kids.

  • Dorrylynn

    It is your words in my life that has given me the courage and freedom to be who I was created to be. Your vote has meant everything to me. I am honored to share my legacy with you.