By Josephine Amoako

One of the most embarrassing situations one can find himself in is to be shunned in public because of bad breath or body odor. Sometimes it is so bad that you find yourself wondering, doesn’t he or she have friends or relatives to bring it to their attention? Since it is a sensitive issue, no one wants to be the bearer of such news and initiate such an awkward conversation. But that’s what being family and friends means: having to sometimes engage in uncomfortable dialogue to make them better.

But there is something much worse than bad breath or odor. Unlike the aforementioned, you don’t get to see the flinched reaction from people because perhaps you find yourself in a group who behave the same way you do. Foul language stinks and stings like none other. But peer pressure makes it seem cool and modern.

Maybe the problem is today’s role models, those are are look up to by the youth.  Most of today’s role models are celebrities and artists who are popularly known for their hardcore lifestyle exhibited by their profane words in their lyrics, status updates and tweets. So the curious youth of today copy blindly without considering the taint it brings upon their speech, attitude and personality in general.

So whenever people hesitate to respond to whatever you say, it might not be because your breath has been compromised but perhaps your diction is too strong for comfort. Take time to filter your words, ensure they are pleasant. Just like breath mint boosts confidence because it attracts people, so it is with clean words. You feel good about yourself and people feel comfortable approaching you.

Let’s refresh our vocabulary and attitude, what do you say?