Deception comes in many forms, but not all deception is born out of malice. In my life, it came in the form of seemingly harmless tales told to me when I was young and impressionable. In my later years, deception reared its seductive head each time I tried to fulfill a goal or satisfy a personal ambition. I became a storyteller. I told myself stories like "It isn't meant to be." I bought into the philosophy of "You can't do that" until I hit an emotional rock bottom and had an epiphany. Now I tell myself a different story. My life has taught me that I have the power to craft my life how I want, to fulfill my hopes and dreams once I realized the key. How you think affects you emotionally, psychologically, and physically. Your words show the world who you are. They determine the relationships you have and express how you feel. Words define the world around you and your perception of it. King Solomon of Old Testament fame wrote often about the power of words. He said, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18-21, NASB). Words are unimaginably powerful. If you want to climb the Everest of personal excellence and create success in life, put this power into play. Words have impact. How do your words impact those around you? Do you treat yourself and others with respect, gratitude, and acceptance? Do you lift up others with a positive attitude or tear them down with negative words? You may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound or bend steel bars with your bare hands or fly faster than a speeding bullet, but you have power like no other being in this world. You are a superhero!