Speech That Frees
In the heat of the moment, have you ever used speech like an arrow—to hurt someone? How does it feel when someone uses that speech arrow on you? How does it feel to speak honestly, truthfully without the arrow?
Hello and welcome everyone. In today’s podcast we are investigating speech—and how speech can make us free or not.
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Speech— that amazing human capacity for expressing ourselves—what we are feeling and thinking. Speech can be used in all kinds of ways—to exchange information, to teach, to entertain, to persuade, to humiliate, reprimand, and congratulate; it can be used to express pleasure and displeasure, and to express kindness, love, and gratitude.
Some speech is skillful and some is not. Skillful speech is speech that does not harm and that aligns with our core values. It is true and heartfelt. It’s open and daring. It promotes harmony among people. It is kind and balanced. Skillful speech is speech that frees us because when speech is true, harmonious and kind, it leaves no residue. It passes through us leaving no bad feelings, no difficult emotions, no inner sense of contraction; and no stickiness—we’re not rehashing or regretting what we have said. We feel open and spacious.
On the other hand, unskillful speech is false, malicious, or harsh speech. It is idle chatter or gossip. It creates discord among people. Have you noticed how many people today are using speech to tear people apart; to create suspicion, discord and hostility? Have you noticed how lies and cynicism proliferate?
This is not to imply that skillful speech doesn’t deal with difficult issues, it does. But, we can always be balanced, truthful, and kind. We focus our speech on facts, truth, and describing and analyzing situations rather than focusing on personalities. What someone says or does may be harmful and cause us to speak out, not against the person, but against the actions. Skillful speech requires us ask questions rather than assume that we have all the answers.
We examine how important our intention and attitude is to skillful speech. We explore how to notice when unskillful speech takes over; and how to right ourselves through the practice of mindfulness. We notice the power of speech that frees.
Come and learn how to practice skillful speech and free your heart and mind.
I hope you enjoy the show, and as always, I am grateful to you, my audience, and I am also grateful for the people behind the scenes who make this podcast possible.
Allie Allen for logo and podcast cover design;
Gorgias Romero for composing the original music, audio engineering and production;
Bill Rafferty for technical web support; and
Margaret Haas for announcing the show.
Be well. Be mindful.
DISCLAIMER:
The content in the podcast and on this webpage is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical or health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice and guidance of your health professional.
