By doing a lot of writing and editing, I have recently realized we often unknowingly undermine ourselves with our usage of words. We use a lot of auxiliaries such as “may, might, and can,” words that carry with them uncertainty. It’s tempting to use these words because they seem to provide us with a shield in case we are wrong. But you need to ask yourself: Are you certain of what you are asserting? If not, why not? If so, why? Are you simply afraid of being wrong? Using words that carry uncertainty sends the message you are not confident about your ideas, and it tells readers they cannot trust you. Get rid of uncertain words in your writing, and ask yourself the hard questions. Join The Word Leader Facebook Community to learn more about writing, connect with like-minded fellows, and get support in your writing journey.