With a new year comes new responsibility. To be blessed to see another year is not something that should be taken lightly. To see a new day requires a lot of grace and mercy...a new year is that multiplied by 365! Every year I set out with a long list of resolutions determined to grow my finances, lose pesky pounds and stop bad habits. Sometimes I do exceptionally well and other times I don't make it to January 2nd. This year...I have one...to be quiet!
I am a communicator by nature. I think I was born talking. I have always loved words and even majored in communications. I always felt that if I felt it, I needed to say it - right then and not a second later. You can see where this is going. While it is important to express yourself and be clear about your intentions - I have also learned that words hurt. They hurt and they last longer than any physical pain. Another painful lesson that I have learned is that we typically save our most colorful words for the people we care about the most.
I think it will be easier for me to be quiet once I truly understand the power of words. When they are used correctly they can positively change the direction of a person's day, they can be the building blocks of true friendship and encourage loved ones to rise to the best of their potential. Words can also shoot like daggers. They can put holes in walls that can't be repaired, damage someone's self esteem and negatively impact your relationships with people you interact with everyday.
"The tongue has the power of life and death" Proverbs 18:21. Well, I've decided to choose life for 2011. I want to use my weapon (tongue) to uplift, encourage and bless others. So yes, I do want to strengthen my finances continue to lose my baby weight, and stop all of my bad habits...but most importantly I want to build, repair and strengthen relationships...come on tongue...please behave...being quiet speaks volumes.
