This woman's dog got so cold during their walk by the river that she finally had to tuck him into her coat. He seems quite snug and happy there.
One thing I try to remember to say out loud to myself every day has to do with the impact of words. Every spoken word creates (at the very least) a vibration that carries it into the world, spreading whatever emotion was behind it along with the word itself. The spoken word can be a really healing thing, or ... well ... I've used it to harm, too.
When I speak in a way that's hurtful or destructive, it's almost always a mindless act. The Sufi acupuncturist tells me that mindless blathering and mindless blurting are common strategies people use to relieve internal pressure. As usual, I think he's right. When I see people cursing, it does seem that they are expelling potent chunks of energy along with the fucks and shits. How about the people who stand around in public ranting and raving and preaching? They definitely look like they're trying to get something out of their system. Yes?
Oh yeah.
I have a tendency towards expounding about this, that and the other thing. Yada yada yada. When I speak mindfully, even if what I'm saying is crap, I don't do much harm. But when I just go off, oh man, can I create a path of destruction!
One of my goals as I grow into older age is to spend more time actively listening, and speak less. Sometimes that is so hard! Wish me luck!
On the shore of the South River in Annapolis, Maryland.
23 comments:
Good luck! I also think your Sufi acupuncturist is right.
I try to never say anything that is intentionally hurtful. But...I seem (innocently enough on my part) to tell people the things they don't necessarily want to hear. For awhile, I would warn new possible friends that I can be hard to take.
I agree, words have power or really it's the energy behind the words that have power since words change constantly.
I think I have become more thoughtful as I have gotten older, less tactless. Well, for the most part.
hi reya, there's a whole piece around the creation and sharing of energies that gets overlooked in our relationship with all the worlds we are a part of. i'm rarely angered but i'm still learning how to release the negative that does pass through me in a way that renders it useful or non-damaging to others or other things. i love the scene by the river. love it!! steven
I would comment but I'm also trying to just listen and not blather.
I really love your blog - and the photos!!! How do you get them to appear so wide, and without a border? I also use Blogger and cannot manage to figure it out :(
Cheers
Holli in Ghana
i have the opposite problem...except when i'm tipsy.
Luck.
sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me- I think we've got that one down pat and were probably told this rhyme early on to try to protect us from hurtful words. I would rather have sticks and stones than hurtful words- I rarely forget those- there are no bandaids , no salve,no Mederma for the scars left by words. But swearing- now that is a different matter altogether! Swearing is expressive, fun, creative sometimes and funny.I guess it's all about intent.
Less is more and I usually do the more and more and more. I too am trying to do the less is more thingy. And to try and think before I talk, plus think about if what I say will hurt someone, or if hopefully it will make them feel better. I do want others to be happy.
Great pic of the dog and the river.
As to making the picture bigger, just click on the picture, see the little white squares, then click on them and drag the pic to the size you want. You do have to be in the old editor mode to do this. In the newer one it just drags your picture around. So you can use both. One to drag the pic around and the other to increase or decrease the size. At least that is what I was told. And you have to be in the Compose mode also. HTML is harder to work with. This is the easier way to do it. And lately it seems people are having blogger and virus problems in the HTML mode. Blogger is being attacked with virsues, so be careful, lots of them are in the widgets too. Most are getting rid of their widgets.
Hope this helps you Holli.
Although I know Reya does things with her pics that I have no clue how she does it, but this should be a good beginning. Reya seems to be far advanced over most of us.
Thank goodness she is and we are the lucky beneficiaries of her hard work. Thank you Reya for all the beautiful pictures you always do.
God bless.
LOVE the picture of the dog & his owner laughing - so cute.
Boy howdy do I ever need to SHUT UP sometimes! I upset my dad's wife over Christmas & there was absolutely no need. I was just blathering on about something and stuck my foot in it. Even a TINY amount of thought before speaking would have stopped that train. Sigh.
The look on that dog's face is priceless! I've always wondered how you made all of your beautiful pictures so large too, so thank you Mrsupole for divulging the answer - it's just like you do in Word...duh! I guess I'll quit blathering now and go focus my energy on making a bigger picture!
and I'm blathering away on my blog every day! it is a good prompt, though, to write something. It makes me less self-conscious.
Thanks, Mrsupole! I use photobucket which allows me to size the pics to any dimension I want. Many roads lead to Rome in this case.
Tut you are so NOT a blatherer. Is that a word? You think before you write and you mean what you say. I so admire that!
It's interesting to think about the difference between mindfulness and self-consciousness. There definitely is a difference!
I'm working on the same thing. It is amazing what we have holed up inside that sometimes comes blurting out in a stream of consciousness. It just happened the other day. A seeming innocent conversation and after getting off the phone, I thought - why'd I say that? Why was I just not quiet- saying nothing at that particular moment. I agree with your Sufi acupuncturist - we talk to relieve pressure - but what often comes out at that moment is not what we want. Because I am working on anger - there seems so much going on in this world making me angry at the moment - I'm aware now of how my body is reacting to the emotion. Wow - there is so much we do unconsciously to our body through our thoughts, and then through our mouth.
Oh yeah! I feel a word fast coming up sometime soon!
I do think Sufi is right, too. I also think a lot about the power of the vibration the words carry through the universe. There are times I think it is best to sit in silence. And then there are times I think about the need for energy, and words are energy, to move or it just gets stuck.
Ronda do you mean my own energy might get stuck if I don't talk? Because there is so much talk talk talk energy moving around in general, from radios and TVs and computers and people, that honestly I could avoid all that without any danger of stuckness. Don't you think?
I would love to cultivate that same ability -- to speak less and listen more! (And curse less, too! I've been known to let loose with a potent word now and then.)
beautiful picture of the river. aw, we all need to practise listening more. the world is too full of unthoughtful words...lots love xx j
Thoughts, too, carry a vibration, and combined with anger sets us a karmic reaction.
It is always best to consider what one says before they do, while trying to keep a lid on the angry outbursts.
My family took seriously the adage "Children should be seen and not heard," and I grew up tongue-tied. That's not great either...I still struggle to "speak up."
Still, I did grow up listening and watching, which is valuable and fun. And sometimes, being quiet doesn't mean you're listening--you may be simmering in your bottled-up rage, so that when the lid pops off, something ugly boils out.
Difficult issues, indeed.
Mrsupole and Reya - thanks!! This was a major breakthrough for me - I can now make the pics bigger - and it was easy!! Thanks ladies. And keep up the great work with all the photos :)
I love how the photo is cropped to include the corner of the dog mama's wide laughing mouth.
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