Hi Everyone, this week we read up to Positive Inventory on pg 113 and had a lovely discussion about the Precepts and how "the intention is to bring awareness and kindness into our relations with everyone and everything around us" p109
So this week's contemplative question involves the 4th Precept " to refrain from false speech, harmful speech, gossip and slander". We shared about gossip and how habitual and difficult it is to avoid engaging in, but we didn't really talk about this:
"The way we create ourselves in the world, the way we let people know who we are, is through speech... Who am I creating with my words?"p112
So who are you creating with your words? Who are you showing the world by how you speak, and is that who you wish to be and how you wish for people to see you or know you?
I know that for me, it's been a continual process of learning not to complain, not to judge, not to talk about others, and to try and have my speech mirror the best me, my spirit self or buddha nature and not my ego self. I am certainly not always successful at this, but I do believe that awareness and kindness are the key factors in how I present myself and in how I treat others. I love that Maya Angelou quote " people will forget what you said... but people will never forget how you made them feel" I try to remember that even when the words are not harmful, the intonation and/or their interpretation may be harmful, which is one reason I think texting is so often hurtful. I try to be mindful of how what I say makes people feel instead of how right I am in saying it, but I screw up constantly and especially with those closest to me. Just ask my boyfriend. LOL I'm a work in progress.
How about you?
