“Speak when you’re angry and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.”
Laurence J. Peter, Ambrose Bierce, Groucho Marx, or ?
Blog-tember Challenge prompt: A favorite quote/expression and how it has impacted you.
In my first class on the first day of middle school, my teacher pointed to a banner posted above the chalkboard. Whether the quote above was from Laurence J. Peter, Ambrose Bierce, or Groucho Marx, doesn’t really matter to me. It’s stuck with me since that day because I was the type of person who bottled up her anger. I felt like the quote validated what I did. I didn’t speak up when I was angry. I didn’t confront people. I kept quiet.
Last night, I watched a Joel Osteen broadcast just because I had the television on. He talked about keeping our inner sanctuaries free from negativity like anger, hurt, shame, or guilt. Though trials happen and we feel anger, hurt, shame, and guilt, we don’t need to let them into our hearts. We don’t need to dwell on them. We don’t need to let them take root inside us and affect our daily lives.
True, that when I didn’t speak in my anger, I didn’t say things I would have later regretted. However, I bottled up the anger, hurt, and every negative things. I allowed them in my inner sanctuary. I let them take root in my heart and affect the way I lived my life.
I had to learn to let them go.
“Speak when you’re angry and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.”
It’s not about shutting up to bottle up the anger. It’s about stepping back, breathing, pausing, and letting go of whatever pushed our buttons. If you must speak up, speak up with a clear head. Speak up when the anger has washed away and you can think clearly.
Today, the quote above is my reminder to be careful with my words.
Whether I say ’em or write ’em, I try to be careful and intentional with my words because I don’t want to regret them. I don’t want to use them as weapons. I want to use my words to honor God. Doesn’t always happen, but I keep trying!
The Bible also reminds us to be careful with our words:
“Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity” Proverbs 21:23 (NIV).
“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” Proverbs 18:21 (NIV).
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” Colossians 4:6 (NIV).
Great thoughts—-ones that I need to remember from time to time. It takes a lot for me to react out of anger, but when I finally do, I sometimes say things that I wish I hadn’t.
Love the reference to Scripture. Truer words have never been spoken!