“The words you speak become the house you live in.” ~ Hafiz
What kind of house do you wish to reside in and call your own?
“The words you speak become the house you live in.”
There is such beautiful truth to this quote. The kind of truth that once heard is impossible to ignore. That the words you speak become the house you reside in, that you carry with you, is astounding in it’s resonate simplicity and utter depth.
The words you speak, whether they are to yourself or to others, have power.
The playground taunt of sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me is such an awful lie. Words more often than not carry a heavier, longer lasting hurt than most broken bones. They also tend to cause a kind of invisible wound, one that inflicts it’s self upon the very soul.
When you talk down to yourself or others, you are creating a negative feedback dialogue that reflects pain, upset and hurt that more often than not doesn’t get resolve. Instead it festers and feeds upon the low, dismissive, lashing out your words cause. It becomes a painful, heavy, sad loop and it sucks big time.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you talk in uplifting, compassionate ways, you begin to create an optimistic dialogue that encourages and raises the spirits and mind up. Just as the mind and soul feed upon the negative, they feed just as much upon the good and it spreads the same way.
The real question lies at the heart of this particular quote by Hafiz – “The words you speak become the house you live in.”. What kind of house do you want to live in?
Do you want a house that is tight, upset, angry, wounded and lashing out. The kind that thinks and feels that everyone and everything is out to get them and think the very worst of them so they do the same in an effort to protect and strike first?
Or perhaps you would rather a house that is open and airy and light-filled. The kind where compassion and kindness and love fill the space and spread their glow all about, understanding that while not everyone is as open as this, they don’t need to be snapped at, merely treated with the same gentleness you give yourself as you move along.
Of course, there is a middle ground since we are each of us only human and we do snap and lash out from time to time. It’s when we take notice of this and take a step back to assess where the wound is we are lashing out from is. By taking the time to work it out with compassion, we are more able to then give that same compassion to another who may be lashing out, and maybe give them a chance to take their own pause.
This doesn’t mean you have to take anyone else’s verbal abuse (nor your own), but it does mean that you don’t react with the same vitriol and instead choose to move along in your own peace without dropping down low. By actively choosing to disengage and recognize that the other person is coming from their own wounded place, you can make peace with yourself and keep your “home” a safe, comfortable place.
The next time you feel provoked, either by yourself or another, take a breath and think about the kind of home you wish to create with your words. You may surprise yourself and find some healthier ways to communicate.
Namaste ~ Ella
~ Affirmation Mondays are positive words of wisdom, insight and joy to add a bit of cheer to the start of your week and any day you need a bit of a pick-me-up! For even more inspiration please check out my Affirmation Mondays Pinterest Board and my Quote-spirational Board!
~ Check my Instagram on Mondays for Inspirational quotes and every day for a little jolt of happiness!
Lawhimsy 