Inspiration: Speak What You Think…
“Speak what you think now in hard words, and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said today.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Inspiration: Speak What You Think... Boldly
Inspiration: Speak What You Think... Watch the Gator's mouth as sharp words and teeth hurt
Most of us grew up with the warning to hold our tongue if we had nothing good/better to say. Aside from those with foot in mouth issues (you know, the blabber mouths), most of us think before we speak most of the time. So when I read this prompt, it made me laugh out loud because while it’s healthy to be forthright, it’s somewhat dangerous to let it all hang out; especially those bad and ugly thoughts that fleet through our minds on a daily basis. What thoughts do we share? Which do we hold back and why?
#Trust30 is an online initiative and 30-day writing challenge. The #Trust30 Prompt: Imagine your future self, ie, you 10 years from now. If he/she were to send you a tweet or text message, 1) what would it say and 2) how would that transform your life or change something you’re doing, thinking, believing or saying today?
Take for instance this suggestion from Seth Godin (a bonus question for continuing the #Trust30 challenge): Find something that happened on the day and date you were born. Write about it. This is a perfectly fine topic, however, my initial reaction was: “Why would I want to do that? Do I really want to share that much? Em, no.” Someone else reading it might think, “What a lame response, write or don’t, no need to discuss it.” but then, they say something different as a comment. We self censor daily, not just because we don’t want to hurt others feelings or that we might be afraid, but also because we change our minds or choose to focus our energies elsewhere. What do you think about the story below? 😉
Recovering Thinker by Bill
It started out innocently enough. I began to think at parties now and then to loosen up. Inevitably though, one thought led to another, and soon I was more than just a social thinker.
I began to think alone – “to relax,” I told myself – but I knew it wasn’t true. Thinking became more and more important to me, and finally I was thinking all the time.
I began to think on the job. I knew that thinking and employment don’t mix, but I couldn’t stop myself. I began to avoid friends at lunchtime so I could read writings of Plato, Saint Augustine of Hippo, Jesus Christ, and Aristotle. I would return to the office dizzied and confused, asking, “What is it exactly we are doing here?”
Things weren’t going so great at home either. One evening I had turned off the TV and asked my wife about the meaning of life. She spent that night at her mother’s.
I soon had a reputation as a heavy thinker. One day the boss called me in. He said, “Skippy, I like you, and it hurts me to say this, but your thinking has become a real problem. If you don’t stop thinking on the job, you’ll have to find another job.” This gave me a lot to think about… Read the rest
There are times to speak boldly and act on our words and times to be contemplative; or mindful. When we have a vision for our lives and want to commit to a purpose fully, we must speak our mind and do so with clarity and boldness. Even if we change our minds the next day, we must still infuse our words with energy. If I were to send a tweet to my bolder self, it would simply say; Be true to yourself; Stay true to your purpose. How will it transform/change my life? More than anything, it will help me stay focused… and that is a good thing.
Above is a funny story about social conformity and how others react to our thoughts. I’ve added a link so you can read the rest of the story. What does the story really tell us about speaking what we think? Is there a lesson there?
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Inspiration: Speak What You Think... A day in nature...
#Trust30 is an online initiative and 30-day writing challenge. The #Trust30 Prompt: What is one thing you can do that would make today worthwhile? What’s stopping you from getting started right now?
In case you are wondering, as you read this post, what does one part of a post have to do with the other…? My post is about speaking what we think today and I choose the second prompt because for once, I wanted to not feel tied down by rigid expectations of how a post should start and end… Since we are all works in progress, I liked the idea of a post that started one way, meandered through another and then finished on yet another note.
To make today worthwhile, in my mind, I chose to make a post that fit what I was thinking; create a post with minimal rules, exploring a topic of interest, while avoiding the usual blog format or correctness. What do you think? Are there times you just want to process a thought without the usual packaging? Do you always feel compelled to conform and why? Do Share. Thank you! 🙂
This post was inspired by two prompts from RalphWaldoEmerson.me: Imagine your future self, ie, you 10 years from now. If he/she were to send you a tweet or text message, 1) what would it say and 2) how would that transform your life or change something you’re doing, thinking, believing or saying today? and RalphWaldoEmerson.me: What is one thing you can do that would make today worthwhile? What’s stopping you from getting started right now?
Positive Motivation Tip: Speak what you think, create what you wish, with or without moderation… and then stand by it.
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos Female Lion, Gator’s mouth and A Day via Wikipedia. Story on the Recovering Thinker via Only Funny Stories.com
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
I’m a blabbermouth, I’m afraid. Not malicious, just impulsive.
On the internet, I weigh every word before posting it. I get into soooo much less trouble 🙂
Oy you are fine Tilly,
Your humor is well intentioned and not threatening in any way. I weigh what I say too and I know you do; even behind the humor… We have to really; avoiding troublemakers and such is important to me too. 🙂
What do I think? First of all, I think you are amazing and I love reading your posts because they make me “think” and look inside myself.
I smiled when I read the story about the “heavy thinker” whose boss was upset because he was thinking at work…unfortunately, this is SO true.
When I was in high school (almost 5 decades ago…yikes), we had to write a composition entitled, “My Life Ten Years From Now”. I still have it. When 10 years had passed, I had reread it and was happy that I was doing what I had envisioned myself doing. Looking ahead and setting goals is really important because it gives us a direction for our energies and a motivation to work hard, even if the goals and direction changes as time goes on.
But I’m not sure about “speaking what we think”…I, too, was raised to “think before you speak” and I THINK 🙂 that is usually good advice. 🙂
And I totally agree with Tilly Bud about weighing every word before posting on the Internet…and with Frizztext about letting thoughts cool before speaking when in a relationship.
I hear you… We are from the same household of mothers who advised their kids to watch the tongue and its ability to wound…
I’m impressed you kept the composition and lived up to your predictions. Good for you! 🙂
Since what we say on the internet is forever, we do have to watch our words and mouths… 🙂
I agree. After I speak something, I can understand clearly what I thought and what I was annoyed. 🙂
Yes, many of us feel the same way… Sometimes speaking it out is a good things; if it is not abusive language and we focus on resolution. TY! 🙂
thoughts, composed in the heat and anger of an evening,
cooled down on the next morning, changing the direction …
very necessary for a good relationship ..
Communication after anger and during the cool down help… We all have difficult moments in our relationships and then we figure how to work out the kinks and/or move on. 😉
Talk about speaking what you think. Those photos both seem rich in non verbal communication with the message, “I’d rather like to eat you” coming out of their brain. As always, a thought provoking post
LOL! That lion scared me too… It wasn’t mincing words and neither was the crocodile. Maybe the next time I’m furious, I’ll hold up a picture of a growling lion. 😆
I often speak my mind and I’ve had regrets at times. But primarily I think it’s better to speak than to stuff those thoughts and feelings. It’s all in how you say it.
Interesting post.
Thanks
b
It’s all in the delivery… I agree. On the internet, we have to be even more careful so our words are not misconstrued. TY! 🙂
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. ~ Mahatma Gandhi
Loved the story about the heavy thinker! Very clever.
Aye!Aye! Harmony being the operative word … TY! 😉
I don’t think I can be accused of not speaking what I think! But I do think we should still think before we speak.
Yes and you do measure your words… imagine, after a year of incredibly stressful circumstances, you could have been hurling verbal salvos at lots of people… you didn’t. 😉
I totally believe in being yourself, even speaking your mind and having the courage to stand up for what you believe and for your purpose. I like: “Speak what you think, create what you wish, with or without moderation… and then stand by it.”- 🙂
Yes, I do believe we should… if we are able to do so. Sometimes, people are not able to shout it from the rafters for fear of reprisals. I respect each person’s right to be vocal or silent. TY! 🙂
I think you’ve done a beautiful job of blending all three prompts cohesively into one! Love the Gandhi quote from nrhatch! I want to think before I speak and try… but who’s perfect? As for speaking to me from the future, I would say, be healthy with healthy habits and the rest will follow.
TY Karen! 🙂 I hear you… I have had my share of faux pas comments, but we live and learn right? As for the future you, I say Amen to that… 🙂
Those picture selections you chose gave me the chuckles 🙂 My mother says that the wise are those who do not always speak their minds in terms or how one feels about a person in a negative way. meaning if a person feels negative feelings for a particular person, we should keep it to ourselves. I would agree with that. I am the type of person who thinks about what i will say before saying it out loud, or how my words will affect others. Maybe it’s because of my culture but I do tend to think before i act or say things. there is a difference between standing up for yourself and what you believe in, and putting others down because of what a person believes, or the fact that talking negatively about a particular person, culture, idea or whatever is the way to speak your mind. I think that we should just be aware of our words, and how it comes across and how it will effect people. i read somewhere that just because we have the freedom to speak our mind does not mean that we should take advantage of that, I remember reading that part and thinking and agree that some things are better left unsaid.
sorry for the long reply 🙂 great post by the way.
ugh i am so mad, I had written a really long reply to your post but the internet decided to stop responding as soon as i hit comment, then ended up losing everything i had wrote….so I am not going to rewrite what i had written because I cant really remember what i wrote 🙁
great post by the way 🙂
oh ok….my first comment finally decided to post haha 🙂 you can disregard the second comment 🙂