TRULY SPEAKING: Think Before You Speak

Summary: Taking a breath to think about what kind of message you're projecting to the world around you is important every day. This post shares some concrete steps you can take to make sure you're speaking your truth with respect—today.

If you checked out the banned words list I linked you to Monday, you know that many people (not you or me, of course—*ahem*) can go far overboard with the overuse of certain words or phrases. Some have done it in the press to the point that one university, at least, has decided to tell them, "No more! We don't want to hear these words or phrases in 2010."

I get a customized horoscope in my e-mail in-box every morning. And today, I basically got the same admonishment from the universe (if you believe in that sort of thing): Today, I'm a little moody, and the planetary advice I read is to stop and really think before I open my big mouth.

Whether it's relying on the same old sentences or not checking your tone of voice, the way you communicate with others deserves a pause for self-awareness—today and every day of this year and every remaining year of your life. How do you accomplish this? Here are some mental actions you can take:

(1) Pay attention to how you feel physically in your body as you speak. Each emotion is connected to a specific area of the body (anger results in clenched fists and jaws, for example, while anxiety equals stomach complaints).

(2) Try to connect the physical sensation with the emotion you're feeling—and likely displaying. It takes time to become emotionally aware, so don't get too down on yourself if this takes a lot of practice. If you need help distinguishing feelings from thoughts and properly naming them, use this list as a jumping-off point. You can also contact me via my website for a more thorough list that I've created for my clients.

(3) Find a daily practice that helps to spiritually connect you to this consciousness. Whether it's meditation, prayer, affirmations or journaling, you can use any process that helps to take you outside of your usual perspective, so that you can see yourself more objectively and really listen to the way you speak your truth to others.

© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2010