How to guard your tongue from running away with what you are saying
From ArticleWorld
To guard your tongue from running away with what you are saying is very important if you want to be taken seriously. Remember that words have the power to both heal as well as destroy. With your words you can comfort, soothe, warm and bring laughter to your family and loved ones and with words you can also hurt, wound, frighten and bring tears to the eyes of the very same people. Do you have trouble guarding your tongue and do your words have the habit of running away from you before you can rein them in? Here are some guidelines to help you keep your counsel and speak sweetly.
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A few suggestions
- Before you enter a conversation with a group of people just remind yourself not to say anything out of hand. Whenever you open your mouth, think about what you are going to say. Is it anything that will hurt someone or is it about a person who is not there, will it get back to them, somehow and make them sad?
- Always look before you leap and think before you speak, an old cliché but with a world of wisdom hidden in it. Whenever you do or say something, stop to reflect on your actions and what effect they will have on someone else. It is a very selfish way to be to not think of what your dealings will result in.
- Try and make it a habit to stop and think before all actions. It is an indication of maturity to not put your foot in your mouth every time you open it and if people consider you a much better human being because you speak well, it is just icing on the cake.
- Ask your friends and family to help you. They can remind you in some way before you begin to shoot your mouth, so that you are able to stop yourself in time.
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Do’s
- Remember words have the power to keep a relationship alive and just as words can ignite even a stale relationship, they can also drain the passion out of the most vibrant one.
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Don’ts
- Don’t say words directly, over the telephone or via e-mail or letters that you felt like retracting right after uttering them. Don’t be rash and never react in anger.