Sticks and Stones

Let’s Chat…

Whoever once said the old wise tale, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me” was, in the kindest way possible, crazy. Whether you are at some kind of event, in your home or just simply working out at the gym, it is hard not to hear or participate in hurtful conversations. It is so common we have become desensitized to it’s approach. We have a hard time recognizing when it’s happening right in front of us. Let’s just admit it: When you have some crazy-maker in your life, and she’s just done the craziest thing again, it’s almost impossible not to get in the car, pull out your phone, and call somebody and say, “You won’t believe what she just did!” You might recognize this technique from the ‘How to Deal With Crazy-Makers’ manual we all receive at the ripe age of like twelve. It’s instinctual. We want to tell somebody else. We want affirmation from those around us. This habit is extremely hard to beat. It may feel good when we tell someone and spread the word about the crazy-maker’s craziness, but if we really take a close look at it, it’s unloving.

 
The conversations we have are never private. They might be “secret”, but they are never private. Those negative “opinions” will have a ripple effect into every aspect of our lives. The individual will feel it no matter how sneaky we think we might have been. Guilt is hard to disguise. Anytime we use someone’s name to describe a negative feeling- slander. Whenever we bring up someone’s personal business just to talk about something- maybe we should look into finding more hobbies. Gossip is destructive. It is destructive to those around us and, whether we want to admit it or not, it’s destructive to our hearts.  

No one, or at least very few, have perfectly mastered the art of forgiveness and grace. Those who have are a light in a dark place.   Ladies, this world is really dark. Can we do a better job at giving kindness instead of hate? Can we replace hurtful stories and comments with encouragement and love? Wouldn’t it be nice to hear for a change, “I just love being with the girls.” We can be a safe place in this world. We were meant to be a safe place.   Let’s do better. One small victory at a time, we can change the world.                                            

xo, vie