Power In What You Say

I have long since lived by the motto "choose your words wisely." Words are powerful. They have the ability to create a moment and the strength to destroy it. We all have been victims and villains of words misused. It usually takes ten seconds to tear someone apart with the things we say and in most cases, for the victim of our tantrum, a lifetime to forget. There are still certain phrases that were said to me in my youth that still haunt me to this day. Thankfully, I am learning not to give those powerful words a dwelling place in my conscious mind, but I have no way of stopping them from popping up, uninvited and taking a piece of me that day. It saddens me, but I am not merely a victim of the unbridled tongue; I am guilty of its unrestraint as well. How often have I lashed out in anger, spoken with cruel intent and now those unfettered expressions take a piece of joy from the receiver of my folly? It boils down to understanding the power of words and the lifelong effect they have. What we say to ourselves matters just as much as what we say to others. So before you say something you'll regret, might I suggest you practice and make a habit the art of tasting your words before they leave your mouth. Understand that just because it's true, it doesn't have to be spoken, and just because the person "deserves" it, doesn't mean you have to say anything.