Before You Speak!

by COSS Blog Contributor Joann Homen

I absolutely love the Rumi and the profound wisdom found in his beautiful inspiring poems.

This is one of my favorites because it speaks to the wisdom of speaking kindly to others.

I know we are all guilty of spirting out words without thinking of the impact they might have on others, but in this poem Rumi speaks to pausing and reflecting on the words you say to another.

I try to live my life with sincere effort of trying to be kind to others, do I always succeed? Nope but I do try.

I often pause and reflect on the words I speak; I ask myself:

-Are these words true?

- Is it necessary to that I speak these words?

-Are the words I am speaking kind and compassionate?

Often the answer to one of these questions is a resounding NO! If this is the case, I try to change what I am saying or I just let them go and remain silent, as a result, I find my life to be way more peaceful.

Here's the kicker, by refraining of speaking words that lack compassion, truth and that are not necessary to be spoken, we enhance our own life because we are not getting into disputes with others and others enjoy being around us. We shine brightly with compassion and this compassionate energy draws others to us because of the positive, welcome energy we emanate.

I think Rumi was onto something here!