I am about halfway through with shipping valentine kits... we have a big shipment going out today and I hope to finish the rest up to be shipped out by tomorrow.
Just something else I've been musing about lately... I have been told that I talk too fast - that I need to slow down. It's typical of my Gemini nature - highly communicative, very much so a fast talker. I love words and enjoy the written and spoken word both, but at times in my life I've used words so sharply that they've cut the recipient like a knife. The positive side of Geminian speech is the ease and flow of witty conversation, but the negative side of it is cutting sarcasm. I try not to let that latter side surface too much - it was a lot tougher for me to control in my younger days but as an adult - I've made an effort to temper my speech. I heard this the other day on The Open Door, which is broadcasted on Lime Radio.
It's a story about the healing power of words told by Jack Kornfield, and you can listen to it here but you'll need to scroll to the bottom of the page and hit the Listen button where it says Jack Kornfield, The Power of Spoken Words.
The gist of the story in case you don't have audio on your computer, is this:
Speech has enormous power. There's a story of a Sufi master, a healer. He goes into this household one day where there's a sick child, and there are people gathered around. He goes over and he passes his hand over the child and he says some sacred words, a kind of prayer, and he says, "Now you will be healed." The parents are very grateful, but a really disbelieving and somewhat aggressive man says, "How can you heal a child just by saying some words, all this healing and this spiritual junk"? The master turns to him and looks him in the eye and says, "What do you know of this? You are an absolute fool. You know nothing!" He says this in front of all the other people. The guy becomes enraged and he turns red and he is shaking with anger. And the master says, "Wait a minute, sir. If a word of mine has the power to make you turn red and shake with anger, why should not a word also have the power to heal?" (cited from dharmaweb.org)
He goes on to say: "Two principles: First, that the words are true for Right Speech; and second, that they're kind or helpful, because it's possible to say what's true and not have it be helpful at all, what one might call "brutal honesty". "I'll tell you just what I think, whether it's helpful or not." The second principle is that speech be helpful, not only that it be true, but also that it speak in some way that's compassionate or kind or useful to someone."
Bingo. Perfect. Speak the truth. Speak with compassion. And know the power of speech - examine if you are using rightful speech, words that empower, heal and uplift (not just towards others - but towards yourself as well). It's never too late to start a new way of speaking (or writing, when it comes to blogs and message boards). Just sayin'.
