I’m starting a blog! – am I really ready to commit to this?? I mean really?? For someone who generally doesn’t talk about herself, this is a big step for me, but knowingly a great step for me and a way to reach more people!
It’s amazing to me in life how situations seem to come in themes for me. As I was preparing for the Intuition workshop in April, I found myself struggling with what my intuition was telling me regarding a life circumstance, not wanting to listen to it, but knowing it was right. And now, as I am teaching the meditation class topic “Right Speech,” I am in situations where I am needing to speak my truth.
In teaching these topics, it gives me an opportunity to go through the material again and wake up to what I’ve forgotten since the last time I looked at it - it is easy to fall back into old patterns, but through awareness I can see it again and choose to change it! The first class topic was on intention behind our word.
So when we speak, is it judging others or ourselves (gossip), boasting about ourselves (re-enforcing ego), blaming others (not taking responsibility), anger (masking our pain)?
Why bother looking at our speech and our intent behind it? According to Thanissaro Bhikkhu, “You become more aware of yourself, more honest with yourself, more firm with yourself.
You also save yourself from saying things that you’ll later regret.” And he goes on to say, “Right speech means speaking in ways that are trustworthy, harmonious, comforting, and worth taking to heart.”
When you make a practice of these positive forms of speaking, your words become a gift to others. In response, other people will start listening more to what you say, and will be more likely to respond in kind.
This gives you a sense of the power of your actions: the way you act in the present moment does shape the world of your experience.”
I read last year in “Body and Soul” magazine “10 Tips to Better Friendships” or something of that sort, and it actually recommended gossiping as a way to connect with your friends!
Can you imagine what it would be like if we didn’t talk about others without judgment of what should or shouldn’t be? We do it because it helps coat the feelings of insecurity about ourselves.
Take note next time you are in such a conversation and make a choice of whether you want to continue engaging in it or not.
So how is to speak my truth? It has been a process of growth in learning how to let go of how it will “make others feel” and know that by saying what is true for me can ultimately help that person – maybe in that moment, maybe somewhere down the line, but more importantly, is true to me.
Categories: Heart Centered Living