By JANET HART LEONARD
From the Hart
The words we speak become the house we live in. – Hafiz
Those words, written by Persian poet Hafiz, have made their way around the world. I heard them for the first time as I joined the Miller Ambassadors at Noble Crossing Elementary School on Thursday morning.
I can’t get them out of my head.
Such a powerful thought. It got me thinking.
Our thoughts echo in everything we do. Our thoughts determine how we go about our day. Our thoughts become our spoken words.
Negative thoughts, if kept long enough, can become like cement in our brains. We all know people who wouldn’t know a positive word if they tripped over it. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but you get what I am saying. They bring to the table, or the coffee shop, or the discussion, every reason why something, if it is not their idea, won’t work or will go wrong. Don’t you just love serving on a committee with them? (Read that last sentence with sarcasm.)
Then there are the positive people in our lives who bring solutions, confidence, and excitement into those scenarios. Don’t you just want to dance with them? You want to send them an invitation to everything you are a part of.
Negative people put a damper on everything. Positive people light up a room. I’m just stating the facts.
Some people come armed and dangerous with words. “Here are my thoughts, they are right and I’m not going to listen to you!” They shoot down every thought that differs from theirs. They are not listening. They are preaching. Hey, I know I’ve preached a few sermons, so I’m stepping on my own toes. Age has brought me to listening more and speaking less.
With age comes wisdom. Silence can often be golden. Pick your battles. Sometimes saying nothing and walking away speaks volumes. Now you might just be mumbling under your breath, but keep walking. Some arguments aren’t worth the effort. You can be wasting your breath, words, and time. Mark Twain said it quite well: Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.
Some people are born arguers. I know the words to say to make a quick exit from their table. Some people are born listeners. I love to sit at their table. The thing is I always want to be open to listening to what they have to say. They seem to hold a lot of wisdom … if given the chance to speak it.
I love sitting at a table where there is a diversity of people with different backgrounds and thoughts and interests and ages. I do my best to come with an open mind and be willing to listen … I mean really listen, not just waiting to get a chance to share my thoughts. I give what they have to say to have a chance to be pondered before I share my thoughts. It’s not always easy. Age, along with a bit of experience, has made it easier.
I want to live in a house where words are pondered before they are spoken. Sometimes I realize it is not necessary to speak at all. Oh, that’s a difficult one for me.
My passion for writing is all about words. With my words, I want to speak my thoughts that build up others and by doing so I know “my house” is a happy place. I pray “my house” will always be a place of refuge, a place of peace and a place of harmony … sprinkled with words of love and acceptance.
May the words I speak be a wonderful place to live.
Janet Hart Leonard can be contacted at janethartleonard@gmail.com or followed on Facebook or Instagram (@janethartleonard). Visit janethartleonard.com.