Proverbs 17: 27
‘He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of
understanding is of an excellent spirit’
It is so easy for us to speak just for the sake of it! Next
time you are in a public place, tune into the conversations around and you will
probably find that the majority of them are pretty inconsequential. Of course, we
all have different priorities according to our social companions and what is
important to one group of people may well be of no interest to another.
We need to be aware of our thoughts and subsequently our
words. The knowledge spoken of here is not identified however it is apt to say
that what comes out of our mouths defines who we are. What are your attitudes
towards others? If you are the first to gossip you are spending little time
thinking and are in a hurry to pass on what is usually malicious information of
some form to others. A wise person does not indulge in gossip and hearsay- which
generally grows out of proportion very quickly: we have all played Chinese whispers
at some point!
It is good to spend time considering what you are going to
say before you speak. This enables you to think a little about how your words
might be received. Always speaking from a positive standpoint is helpful here,
for example: you can just as easily tell someone where to put their wet
umbrella rather than telling them to stop dripping it over the floor! This is a
simple tactic that is easy to acquire with practice and can be applied to
nearly every situation.
The more positive we are towards others, the more positive
they become towards us. People like being around positive people rather than
those who are always complaining. Knowing when to speak is important too. You
cannot be included in every conversation and usually if you need to know
something, someone is bound to tell you.
We are well advised to spend more time listening and
absorbing information so that we have grasped it fully. Leaders may well speak
a great deal but at the same time most of them read avidly and are very
knowledgeable about many things. When you reach this point you command respect,
even from those who do not agree with you.
How often do we speak? If you speak all the time others
might switch off and miss the important things you wish to say. When people
keep up a general monologue very little is heard as we start to think about
other things and just nod or utter occasionally. Think about when a quiet person speaks, the reaction is often
different as people become curious and everyone wants to hear what they have to
say.
How often do you have real conversations with your partner
or children compared to the amount of time you might moan and complain at them?
This is a crucial area and one that is well worth addressing.
Once you understand how you use language you are in a
position to make changes. Once on the positive you too will become a person of understanding with an excellent spirit!
Jaz McKenzie
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