Is Your Everyday Speech Hurting You?

We spend a lot of our time thinking about other people. We compare where we are in life to where friends, family, and even enemies are in their lives. While comparison is one thing, the area where many of us need the most work is in how we talk about others.

The world we live in is permeated with negative speech. From foul language to discouraging words, most speech that is allowed into the atmosphere at this point in time has no place in the mind or ears of a professional. This is particularly true in the realm of talking about other people. It is incredibly easy to walk down the hall at work and overhear numerous conversations about what such-and-such did last week or how much trouble so-and-so is causing. While we cannot always control what we overhear, the issue comes when we neglect to keep on walking by.

When the topic of discussion is a person with whom we, ourselves, have had difficulty, the temptation to participate is unbelievable. Even people who consider themselves to be positive thinkers can easily be sucked into the vortex of negative thinking and degrading others. But I contend that this is not only destructive to the other individual, it is harmful for you to participate in as well. As a professional who strives to take care of him/herself, you honestly cannot afford to speak negatively of others. Doing so takes a toll on you physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Let's begin by looking at the physical and mental repercussions of negative discussion. Many forget that, in addition to keeping your body functioning, your brain is also a muscle. It works just like any other muscle in that it must be exercised, it has times where it is not as pumped as others, and it can grow stronger. The brain on negativity and putting others down is a sad state, indeed. The reason for this is that it works much like a normal computer does. Your brain automatically gravitates towards what you put into it. For example, if you love sports, you probably fill your head with facts, game stats, and watching games. That being said, your brain more readily picks up on discussions about sports than anything else. When the word "football" is mentioned, my ears always perk up, regardless of what else I am doing, because I love the game.

Negative speech is the same way. Have you noticed that there are some people who just can't wait to share bad news? The reason that they always find the type of news that they are looking for is because they hear it so much that their brain automatically tunes into it. But the major physical effects come with what you're giving up by listening to negativity.

When you fill your head with positive, encouraging, and motivational thoughts, there are certain chemicals that your brain releases that put you in a good mood. Essentially, they are the equivalent to having a good piece of chocolate or doing a genuine act of kindness for someone. The funny thing is that, even after working hard to do something nice for someone, you will find that you have more energy afterwards because these chemicals were released. Am I saying that being nice and speaking well of others gives you more energy? Absolutely. The result is increased productivity and you begin passively listening for good material instead of poor material. Mentally, you focus on more positive things. Physically, you have more energy and are more productive. 

Let's move on to the spiritual aspect of what we say. It is very easy to harm our spirit with negative discussion of others. Primarily, this comes when we find out that someone else overheard and/or repeated the information. That feeling of getting punched in the gut after something you said comes to light? That creates unnecessary stress on your body and on your countenance as well. Jesus said that the world he came in to loved darkness rather than light. The reason for this is because light exposes the deeds of those effected by it. That way, good deeds shine all the brighter and evil deeds are exposed for what they really are (John 1). 

Be a child of light. You don't have time to partake in negative conversations about other people. It is harmful for you to do so physically, mentally, and spiritually. Speak encouragement and hope. Those two things will take you further than gossip, slander, or mean words ever will. More energy, increased effectiveness, a happier spirit, and better demeanor are all results of encouragement instead of putting someone down. Why would you ever settle for the latter when the former is an option? Don't be lazy with what you listen to or say about others. Take the higher road. Doing so shows a better person and a better professional. 

Stay classy,

Andrew