The wise thing to say

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It amazes me how, in simple conversations, we manage to say something that could be misunderstood, misinterpreted, and in some cases, plainly stupid just because we could not phrase it correctly, just because we could not pick the right words, just because we could not take some time to pause and think.

It is taking that extra time to think carefully, deciding between words or sentences, and thinking about what will be the best approach in a given context, or I should say, what will be the wise thing to say at that moment.

Not performing well in this "task," not doing our job affects our relationship with our colleagues, friends, loved ones, and anyone who we get in touch with, and yes, in some cases, it becomes our presentation card. Ask yourself, is this presentation card a truthful representation of who I am?

What did those mispronounced or poorly phrased words say about us? Well, when it comes to friends, colleagues, or loved ones, it creates friction in the relationship. In your professional life, people may start wondering if you are really one. Even if it is someone you just met for the first time, the grocery guy, the waitress, or someone who is struggling to make a living trying to sell you some candies on the street, we have to show the same respect when addressing each human being that you get in touch with, and doing this requires wisdom; we have to make that extra effort to think carefully before addressing each human being on this planet, do not confuse this with the softness of language or not being a hard critic or not show our repudiation towards something on its face condemnable, wisdom will always be required perhaps even more in those cases.

In other cases, we let anger and stress take over ourselves and speak for us. Stress makes you stupid, said a meditation teacher, and sure indeed it does. Take a minute to think about that very stressful day at work you had last time, and in the middle of that, someone close to you calls you for a very trivial conversation, and in that state, in that mood, you manage to say something that later on you regret. How regretful! This creates hatred; we cannot let this happen!

It could be just a random stranger that you just met on the street for the first time, and you treat that person poorly with your words.

Is this the kind of human being you want to be in the world?

Yes, you did not sleep well today; yes, today was a very stressful day; things just didn't go your way today. Today sucks.

As hard as it may be, we have to develop this sense of ownership and see this with clear eyes when we make this mistake.

We have to train our minds to pause and think before speaking; this is much easier said than done. Practicing mindfulness and journaling are good habits we have to practice more often and add them to our daily routine; start implementing them into your life, and you will live a better life.

See you.