The sounds of silence…

Have you ever paid attention to what comes out of your mouth? We oftentimes seem to become obsessed with what goes into our mouths, but it seems we seldom care what comes out of them.

Oh, we count calories, watch protein content, monitor cholesterol intakes, and make sure we’ve got plenty of the “good” fats. We plan out and organize and itemize everything that goes into us. We have tests and doctors to tell us all the right things to take in, but who tells us what the good things are that should be coming out?

Well…that’s where we get put into a quandary. There are really SO many people trying to tell you what should be coming out of your mouth, that it’s almost a thunderous noise.

Be polite…mind your manners…don’t swear…no bad language…

That’s a good one. No “bad” language. Tell me, CAN language be bad? Or is it rather the associations that WE attach to it that causes us to experience a “negative” reaction? Language isn’t BAD folks. There are NO bad words. Fuck is just a word. Four letters arranged in a certain order to produce a certain sound. It’s the idea that WE associate with the sound, usually dictated by the circumstances in which the sounds are made, that some people find offensive. Other people consider it an invitation. :-)

So, if I’m not talking about words…what the hell am I talking about then?

Let me show you, instead of tell you.

The next time you are with someone or a group of someones, be quiet. Don’t speak unless you are providing substance to the conversation or speaking a relevant truth…SHUT UP! Don’t provide filler talk. Don’t waste your words either. Be succinct. In fact…try to moderate your tone and volume. Don’t use exaggerated gestures.

Think you can do it?

I’m betting that you can’t. Not very many people can. We seem to LIKE to talk, even if we are talking about and saying nothing.

As my friend likes to say…”You’re wasting my oxygen!”

I think that our words should be used carefully and mostly to uplift, support, and encourage others. All too often we seem to fall into the pattern of complaining, critiquing, and discouraging everyone around us. It’s almost as if WE don’t feel good, so we want EVERYONE else to not feel good with us.

That my friends…is wasting oxygen.

Simple words can cut deeper than any surgeon’s scalpel and can completely destroy the life foundations that we try to build. It only takes a few words to wreak terrible damage to another person.

Very seldom do we seem to realize the damage that we cause with a careless word or hurtful comment. My challenge to you then…watch your words, guard what comes out of your mouth as closely as you guard what goes into your body.

A toast! To silence…

“Speak less…Do more.” – Zen Proverb