A really dear person wrote recently that she believed we are a battered nation, suffering from a barrage of hateful words and no one to call them out. (I use a little literary license rather than the direct quote). Whether you agree or not, the image has stuck with me, and I suggest we consider the possibility of its truth.
I certainly don’t believe I am alone in suggesting that the rhetoric from our leaders needs calming. I have never bought in to the philosophy that the only weapon against hate is the same, or that cutting painful words merit even worse language. Violence begets violence, and victory is no justification for its use. My grandmother used an old expression, “what good does it do to sling mud, if it means you are sleeping with the pigs?”
So where do we begin. We must begin with ourselves. If our own language contains frequent use of the “sharp retort,” and our body language frequently includes an “icy stare” or a “cold shoulder,” replace them with words of comfort and a healing touch. Turns your words and body language from “swords into plowshares.”
Those who suggest that to be victorious one must use the language of the gutter and getting “down and dirty” don’t understand that real strength and courage emanates from being calm and under control. You cannot be calm if you worry. You cannot be calm if you doubt. You cannot be calm if you fear. Calmness is like a harmonious musical instrument, a steady vibration. It is power.
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