Sometimes the Bark DOES Bite

GRATEFUL GIRL'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
It happened to you last week. Or last month. Or last year. Or last night.

Or at one point or another during all of the above.

Someone said something to you that hurt you...deeply.

Maybe it upset you because you care very much about that person's opinion of you. Perhaps you were wounded because there was some truth in the painful comments coming your way ... or because there was none.

It could have been the harsh nature of the delivery rather than the message itself. Maybe you were being too sensitive or your counterpart was being insensitive.

The bottom line is, you can take back an ill-fitting jacket, a broken Fit Bit or even an unopened bag of Doritos ... but you can never take back something you've said.

You can atone or apologize for it; try to amend or soften it; or even feign amnesia or temporary insanity for uttering it...but you can never retrieve it once it's out there floating around in the wide world.

Remember how much it stung the last time someone landed a verbal punch across your cheek? Keep it in mind the next time you think about taking a swing at someone else. If you can't find the right words in a given moment; skip all of them -- at least temporarily.

Because a couple of tiny words can cause a whole mountain's worth of problems if they aren't chosen carefully, thoughtfully and with kindness. So, please communicate calmly, compassionately and considerately when it's at all possible. ​Heck, you never know when your last conversation with someone might occur; be sure it ended on a good note.

In other words, make sure your bark doesn't bite, Capisce? 
​
#wordsmatter #speakkindly

Mt 18:1-5, 10 The disciples approached Jesus and said, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?" He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father."

---