Have you ever said something and immediately regretted saying it? Next time...
T.H.I.N.K. Before You Speak
Words have the unique ability to convey feelings and emotions that last long after the actual words were uttered and the person speaking has no control over how the person listening will receive what was said nor how long they remember what was said. Imagine this scenario, a young teenage girl has an incredible crush on the captain of the football team. As things would have it, they end up in line together in the cafe. He sees her, likes her hairstyle which she just had styled this weekend and he compliments her hair by saying "Your hair style looks nice!" He has no idea what he just did but she will probably keep that hairstyle until she graduates from high school or she finds another love interest who is also interested in her.
The same can happen with words destructive words that wound others but unlike the kind words of a school house crush, the wounds from hurtful words can last forever. Also, one of the worst things about these words is that we may not have any clue that we just destroyed a persons confidence. I may be naive but I believe that most people do not have a desire to hurt others. Most of us don't wake up in the morning with the intention of ruining someone else's day. So to keep the verbal damage to a minimum, I have learned to always try to T.H.I.N.K. before I speak. Before you say something that could be hurtful, ask yourself five questions using the acronym T.H.I.N.K.:
T= Is it True?
H=Is it Helpful?
I=Is it Inspiring?
N=Is it Necessary?
K=Is it Kind?
If the answers to all five are "yes" then go ahead and speak, if not, you may want to reconsider what and how you are going to communicate. I know it seems like a lot of work to do before opening your mouth but remember what the old folks used to say, "choose your words carefully, because you can't take them back!"
