In my last post, I started talking about harmony and empathy. Why is it important? Because in any relationship, most conflict is caused by the words you say and how you say them.
You know, it only takes a spark to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of our mouths can do that. By our speech, we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it.
So, how do we change the way we talk to others? Change our hearts.
People respond differently to stress and pressure. When the pressure is on, what comes out in someone’s speech reveals what’s really going on in their heart. Under stress, kind people become kinder and patient people become more patient. Under stress, mean people become meaner, bullies become bigger bullies, angry people become angrier, and opinionated people become more opinionated.
Whatever is in your heart is going to spill out when you’re under pressure. So the only way you can control what you say is to manage what’s going on in your heart. How do you really feel about the people you interact with each day? Does social, economic, or political standing have any effect on how you see them? Do you give equal respect to everyone you meet?
Humility means thinking of yourself less and thinking more about the needs of others. It means you meet people on their own terms; you don’t think you know it all.
“Don’t use foul or abusive language, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, so that it may benefit those who listen.”
It’s only when our hearts change, the way we talk to others begins to change. Then we would become known for being humble and kind and great listeners. We would also have a lot more harmony in our relationships.