Gentle Words
posted by SylvaanSassy | May 3, 2011
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IcerocketIt takes some doing learning to write or speak without using violent words. They are ubiquitous in our American experience.
In this vein, I am not a 'warrior' nor am I "fighting' the established order. Things don't 'hit' me in a particular way; I don't wish to 'slap' anyone on the back.
Every time I write now, I struggle to find another style to express myself in a more mindful way. I do wish to speak for the freedoms to express ourselves. I want to work to find a way to include others, especially those who differ in their thoughts and beliefs from me.
Finding a way to uplift one another and express ourselves more positively has a huge affect. It also brings out the best in all of us.
Comments
words
— May 03, 2011
drive me crazy also. like... like, whatever, ya know, etc. the nonword fillers uh and um are bothersome. someone i knew ages ago, a new convert on the born again christian path, tried to speak for a while without using the personal pronoun "i" (to show his humbleness) to no avail. i like the word "warrior," in fact, a translation of my last name from the old language is, believe it or not, "warrior." good luck, i hope you can do it. being mindful is the first step. and silence isn't bad, either. in fact, i usually prefer it.
In the conscious movement we
— May 05, 2011
In the conscious movement we are surrounded by people who attempt to speak lightly, it is this kind of social political correctness that stagnates us from true growth. It is kind to consider others, to be polite, yet sometimes there are things that simply need to be said without concern for what people might think or feel.
Is it really kind to avoid telling someone the truth just because you want to sugar coat it? Is it really kind to be so full of fear that you can't say what needs to be said, what is really tugging on your soul and weighing on your heart because of your social conditioning? Is that really what kindness is?
That is weakness, not kindness. Strength comes from owning our power and speaking our truth clearly, directly, and concisely. Even if it means hurting someones feelings.
How can we accomplish anything if we can't say what needs to be said because we are too afraid to hurt someones feelings? As long as our intention is truly aligned with a benevolent goal, is it not ok?
If we are in our power we can have the courage to say what needs to be said even if it means causing temporary discomfort to someone.
We live in a culture where politeness and kindness is seen as a weakness on a collective scale. How can we expect to build a new paradigm without stepping up?
Mindfulness matters
— May 05, 2011
In all kinds of movements, it takes time to get the balance right. I would rather error on the side of being gentle than on being harsh.
Having said that, I appreciate all the insightful comments and the time you have taken to share your ink.
Given time, I think we can express ourselves well, speaking to what really matters. In a world that has become so conditioned to avoid anything that isn't hedonistic, challenges, pain, and death, all part of the life cycle,we will do virtually anything to avoid it. We become conditioned over time to resist it. As we know only too well, what we resist will persist. But once we are conscious, then anything is possible.
It is also equally important to remember that someone else's comments are merely their OPINION. As we become more confident, we begin to trust ourselves. Then our response to others simplifies. We can ask the following Four Gates of Speech:
1. Is it timely?
2. Is it truthful, really truthful? Or exaggerated?
3. Is it necessary?
4. Is it said in a kind way?
Balancing the brain with the heart takes time. I remember a time in the late 60s when people spoke up. They spoke for a better world, more honesty, more fairness. Somewhere along the way we became complacent. Many of the protesters became comfortable in their 'establishment' jobs. Imagine if people spoke up and expected more. Imagine if they were willing to do anything to preserve their freedoms, a just and healthy society. Imagine if quality of life mattered more than money, greed and power.
I am grateful to have this forum. I am grateful for the hard work to make it a reality. I am grateful so many respond so thoughtfully. Thank you.
War
— May 06, 2011
I too for some 20 years now have avoided the language of conflict. I do not 'go into' an interview like I am being inserted into a firefight, I attend an interview. The more we listen the more we hear the language of conflict overtly and more often quite subtly. I don't want to 'fight' fire with fire, I want to put water on it.
The word War taken cross-culturally means struggle. Am I in a struggle for change? Is evolution a struggle - a 'survival of the fittest'? Or is evolution an interplay between the two sides of the same coin that are competition-cooperation? Is it all just an interplay of energies?
For a long time now I have framed my intentional self as a magician, a worker of energy and possibility, of chance and consciousness. Having been a soldier I see where struggle and opposition lead. Better to be a facilitator on the evolutionfield than a warrior on the battlefield.
Except that....
— May 06, 2011
"To us, warriors are not what you think of as warriors. The warrior is not someone who fights, because no one has the right to take another's life. The warrior, for us, is one who sacrifices himself for the good of others. His task is to take care of the elderly, the defenseless, those who can not provide for themselves..., and above all, the children, the future of humanity." -Sitting Bull
