Enjoy speaking nicely – at home, school or work. It's a great feeling to greet someone with a friendly hello accompanied by a big smile, to share a happy Facebook post, send a thank you text for an act of kindness, or a message containing words of encouragement. What we say or write has a very powerful effect on ourselves and those around us. Using kind words can comfort, strengthen and lift us up, while cruel, mean, ones can bring us crashing down – undermining our self-respect.
I remember as a young person growing up, that my mother would remind me to speak nicely to others. She told me that I didn’t have to agree with everyone, but when I disagreed, it had to be done in a pleasant, courteous, agreeable manner – in other words said nicely. I was not to use nasty, spiteful words, or say things with the intention of hurting someone. As a result of following her advice, I found others wanted to be nice to me in return, and be my friend. I soon discovered that it was certainly much more fun, and cool, to enjoy speaking nicely.
TIPS TO HELP YOU ENJOY SPEAKING NICELY
- Delight in filling your heart with pleasant, friendly, kind thoughts before you say or write anything. Resist using harsh, hurtful words. Once uttered or written, they can’t be taken back. They’re out there, and they stay out there for all time. It’s too late afterwards to say you didn’t mean it.
- Enjoy speaking nicely – relish saying, please, thank you, sorry or excuse me. Be happy to make others feel comfortable. “Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. They cheer you up and make you feel strong”. Bible. Proverbs 16:24
- Take pleasure in being a voice for good. Don’t let another’s unkind words sting you into verbal retaliation. Instead, mentally brush them off, and “Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts.” Mary Baker Eddy Science and Health p.261:4
- Get a kick out of following this great advice - “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”. Enjoy speaking nicely to others at home, school or work every day. It’s much more enjoyable to use kind, gentle, thoughtful, considerate, respectful words when speaking to others in person or on social media. Using the language of a loving heart, helps to neutralize hate and increase the goodness that echoes on throughout our life. What’s more it’s good for your health.
__small.png)
