Daily Mindfulness 10/31/12 – Speak Wise

Speaking without mindfulness can cause a lot of suffering and pain.  Whether we intend to or not, we may use harmful language, gossip, or even lie.  The consequences of unmindful speech can be severe if we do not reel our words in.

In The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz names his first agreement Be Impeccable with Your Word.  Practicing mindfulness, we keep our speech in check, and do not harm others with our speech.  The words that come out of our mouths can heal or destroy, and we must practice mindfulness in order to find the proper use of them.

One practice we may find helpful in our mindfulness of speech practice is to be aware of the words that we use.  If we have a habit of using cuss words, we may set an intention to be aware of our bad language throughout the day.  Throughout the day when we use vulgar language, we find ourselves speaking with habit energies rather than mindfulness.

Another practice we may use to practice mindfulness of our speech is to ask ourselves three simple questions before speaking.  First, what is my intention with this speech?  Second, is it helping or hurting me and my fellows?  And third, is it necessary to say?