Words

This weekend has been good for me. I've spent the past two days listening to leaders in my church give instruction, and much of it was exactly what I needed to hear. One talk, in particular, struck me since it directly relates to something I've been pondering a lot lately.

The speaker said that we need to be careful about the words we use. We shouldn't criticize or demean others, especially those we love. And a big part of that is making sure we are thinking positively so that we are less likely to speak harshly to others.

His words made me think of how I speak to others. That's really an area where I need to work on myself. It starts with how I think of others and making sure I only have the best of thoughts about friends and family, and even about people I don't know very well. Because if I think negatively about someone, I'm more likely to say something unkind. So I really need to watch myself, and what I think and say.

Sometimes when I try to stop being negative it feels like I'm trying to extract a poison from my soul. Lately when I start to get negative, I stop what I'm thinking and instead imagine that all of the poison is dripping out of me. I do that with stress, too. I start with the top of my head and imagine it all draining down, down to my fingertips and onto the floor. If only it were that easy. But maybe by thinking it, I am letting the poison drip out of me. Well, it's something to work on, and as I get better at it, my life is sure to improve.