Sticks & Stones Do Break Bones

Confession..the old me was real quick to react, respond, reply and let my emotions rule my mouth. Those who have known me for years, I see you laughing and shaking your head “yes”. News flash…I’m not that person now. I’m healing and I’m trying with all my strength to not let my feelings load my mouth like a Smith and Wesson automatic.

I’ve learned that not everyone deserves my time and energy. I’ve learned that silence is my friend, my ally, and a great attribute when I’m full of emotion. Learning to sit with our feelings and recognize the emotion but not letting it take us is powerful. Recognizing what hurts us the most, makes us angry, or upsets us should be a muscle that needs to be worked out. Some parts of us may need rehab.

I say no response is a response but that doesn’t mean you can’t sit on it for a day or two or even three depending on the circumstances. Addressing a painful issue needs to be addressed with intellect and not emotion. We can say we are hurt or angry without calling everyone in the room a name. Cussing folks out does not repair the situation. And even if we are not trying to repair it, so what if we do cuss them out. In some cases, we are just confirming what they probably already know. It ain’t like they don’t know what they are, most folks do if they are honest with themselves.

Practicing the strength of silence is like a workout. The more you do do it, the better you get at it. That doesn’t mean you can’t cry into your pillow or hit a tree with a baseball bat. That just means think about your words before they are spoken and your actions before they are done. Remember we can never take back the sticks and stones once they are thrown.