A note from Sean
Try this today. Before you reply to someone today, feel your feet on the floor and take one breath. Ask yourself why you are about to say it and whether it is useful right now. If it is gossip, a way to fill a silence, or something that would put someone down, let it pass and let the quiet stay. Try it once on a call or at the table.
Keep going: Cultivate Right Speech With Guided Meditation and Listening Meditation.
This suits anyone who talks all day, or who ends conversations wishing they had said less. If a talk ahead is heated, or tied to grief or conflict, go gently. Stop when you need to.
Here’s a Sample of the “Mindfulness While Speaking With Others” Guided Meditation Script:
Humans are social creatures. Rarely does a day go by where you don’t interact with anyone—maybe you have a family, live with a roommate, or engage with people during work hours. When you talk, you can bring mindfulness to what you are saying, how it may impact others, and what your intentions are. This exercise takes just a few minutes, and you can utilize it anytime.Do this once or twice a day while on the phone, talking with a loved one, or during any social Interaction.
Before speaking, bring mindfulness to your intentions. Ask yourself why you are going to say whatever you plan on saying. Examine the possibility of saying it with even more kindness or patience. Consider whether your words are timely and useful in this moment.We often gossip, interrupt, or talk simply to avoid uncomfortable silences. Think about whether or not this is the appropriate time to talk and what purpose your words will serve.If it’s possible that your words will put somebody else down, interrupt a person currently speaking, or ring as untrue, try reconsidering your choice of words.
