Taming the Tounge
I have a problem. I sleep with the T.V. on. No, that’s not my problem. The problem is that my husband HATES it. So, being the fantastically loving wife that I am, I’ve been working on weaning myself off lately. I’ve found a good substitute: the IPOD. I started off listening to Harry Potter, but after the 21st time through all the books, I started to wonder if I should try something new. So, for the past 2 nights, I’ve been listening to Elder Holland. I can’t say that there is anything in this world that compares to falling asleep to the sound of an apostle’s voice (Sorry, Jim Dale). Last night, I heard a talk, and immediately wanted to share my thoughts and feelings on it. Elder Holland’s talk was on the tongue, and learning to tame it. My heart was touched. I couldn’t sleep. I kept listening to what he said, too riveted to close my eyes.
I kept thinking about our society, and how we’ve developed into a world that, instead of speaking kind and uplifting words about others, we do all that we can to tear people down. Even in the small town I live in, with no more than 50,000 people, has a website with thousands of malicious posts about individuals, businesses and families. We have shows that are dedicated completely to making fun of and criticizing what people do, say or wear. Not only that, but these shows are some of the most popular on television today. I wonder what it is that is so appealing to us about hurting others. Listen, I’m bad about this. I enjoy these shows just as much as other people. I catch myself gossiping way more than I’d like to admit. And even when I’m not saying it out loud, I often think unkind and just plain mean things about others. I hope this doesn’t sound like a condemning blog where I’m pointing the finger and looking down on everyone else. I’m writing about this because I need to work on it, and I know that there are others out there who might need to be reminded just how much words can hurt.
I think we are all on a quest to be the best person we can be. I know I want to become the best me I can. I think this is one way that we can improve ourselves, while helping others. Imagine if we all took the time to say something uplifting, to tell another something we thought was great about them. I know, I know, you’re all imagining this cheesy scenario where everyone is holding hands and singing some campfire song together, but that’s not what I mean. It doesn’t have to be some incredible act of kindness, some heartfelt speech given to someone. Just one kind thought or word. I think it would make a huge difference. Imagine how you feel when someone gives you the tiniest compliment. The smallest things can hurt so much, but something kind can make a great difference.
I've posted the link to Elder Holland's talk. It's just a few highlights of it, the full talk is amazing if you can find it online. I hope you will all take time to listen to it.
I kept thinking about our society, and how we’ve developed into a world that, instead of speaking kind and uplifting words about others, we do all that we can to tear people down. Even in the small town I live in, with no more than 50,000 people, has a website with thousands of malicious posts about individuals, businesses and families. We have shows that are dedicated completely to making fun of and criticizing what people do, say or wear. Not only that, but these shows are some of the most popular on television today. I wonder what it is that is so appealing to us about hurting others. Listen, I’m bad about this. I enjoy these shows just as much as other people. I catch myself gossiping way more than I’d like to admit. And even when I’m not saying it out loud, I often think unkind and just plain mean things about others. I hope this doesn’t sound like a condemning blog where I’m pointing the finger and looking down on everyone else. I’m writing about this because I need to work on it, and I know that there are others out there who might need to be reminded just how much words can hurt.
I think we are all on a quest to be the best person we can be. I know I want to become the best me I can. I think this is one way that we can improve ourselves, while helping others. Imagine if we all took the time to say something uplifting, to tell another something we thought was great about them. I know, I know, you’re all imagining this cheesy scenario where everyone is holding hands and singing some campfire song together, but that’s not what I mean. It doesn’t have to be some incredible act of kindness, some heartfelt speech given to someone. Just one kind thought or word. I think it would make a huge difference. Imagine how you feel when someone gives you the tiniest compliment. The smallest things can hurt so much, but something kind can make a great difference.
I've posted the link to Elder Holland's talk. It's just a few highlights of it, the full talk is amazing if you can find it online. I hope you will all take time to listen to it.
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