Stop saying so much!
"Those who guard their lips preserve their lives,but those who speak rashly will come to ruin." Proverbs 13:3
I come from a long line of loud, fast-talking, big-opinion kind of people.
My family had more than their fair share of tempers, and I quickly learned to use my tongue as a weapon.
In fact, I spent most of my 30's constantly fighting the urge to pop off. This was an improvement, because in my 20's I didn't bother to curb my thoughts, but I'd express any frustrations and feelings in real-time.
I'm far from the master of self-control today, but if you knew me then, I was exhausting.
I see now, since I'm some years removed from those decades, how much pausing matters with controlling the tongue.
Waiting to speak is a powerful skill, but so rarely perfected.
In this day and age, it's less about the mouth and more about the thumbs. It's about having the near constant ability to express every thought we have every moment that we have it AND the ability to do so in a very public way.
We all seem to be losing our ability to pause and consider whether sharing our thoughts is really necessary. We are lashing out, condemning people, and are some how easily offended. We are venting, and our opinions are wreaking havoc on our collective psyche.
Outrage is wearing me out.
Instead, I want to back away slowly from the noise...
Shhhhh.
Don't speak. Bite your tongue. Cover your mouth.
Saying nothing is always a good option.