For a lot of years, I've been silent. I used to say that I'm quiet by nature, but I'm beginning to realize more and more that the things we go through shape us and mold us into the people we are. I've heard Dr. Phil say that when a child is abused or mishandled, it changes who they were meant to become. I never understood that until recently. Looking back over my life and the hardships that I've endured, I see how they've caused me to be silent for a lot of years. I would cry rather than say what I was feeling. I'd expect people to guess what was wrong with me instead of just coming out and saying it. I'd allow myself to be talked over, abused, mishandled all because I felt that my voice didn't matter.
Writing has always been cathartic for me. It was never so much about my audience or thinking about who would see what I wrote. Simply the process of putting words on paper to form sentences and paragraphs made me feel heard. It was a release of lots of pent up emotions. It just felt good to get it all out!
There are times, however when writing is not suitable. There are times when words must be spoken and not written. Texts, emails, facebook posts, inbox / direct messages, tweets and the like can often be misconstrued, misinterpreted and misunderstood. In this electronic age, it often becomes more convenient to communicate electronically. But the danger of digital communication is that the tone of the message is often lost in translation. When reading a written message, it is often difficult to determine the writer's intent.
If unsure of the author's intent, the best thing to do is ask. Have a conversation to determine the author's purpose. The author's character speaks volumes as well. What you know of that person will help you determine the intent of the message. Lewis Cass said "People may doubt what you say, but they will always believe what you do." So look at their previous actions to determine their intent. If the person has shown nothing but love and concern, then chances are, the intent was not to offend.
The Bible asks
"how can ye, being evil, speak good things?" It then informs us "for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Matthew 12:34 What's in our hearts will show. If still unsure, just keep watching. For "he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." John 3:21 The truth always prevails. "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." Matthew 7:20 So whether we write or speak, our intentions will be made known.
I'm grateful that God is giving me the courage to be more vocal and speak up for what I believe. I'm becoming better able to voice my concerns, still in a tactful and respectful way and with love. God is transforming me into a person who speaks from the heart and articulates intentions. I'm learning to be vocal for the voiceless but silent to the noise. God is showing me when to speak and when to be silent. And I'm proud of the me He is making me to be.
“Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.”
― Oprah Winfrey
- See more at: http://alifetimeofwisdom.com/integrity/12-inspirational-quotes-about-integrity/#sthash.yTpJfUPX.dpuf
"Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change." Wayne Dyer
Sharon C.
7/14/14
“Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.”
― Oprah Winfrey
- See more at: http://alifetimeofwisdom.com/integrity/12-inspirational-quotes-about-integrity/#sthash.yTpJfUPX.dpuf
