You ever put your foot in your mouth?
I’ve put my foot in my mouth more times than I can count, usually in conversations with my wife.
Anyone who knows me, knows I try to stay quiet most of the time. In fact, I’ve had many people tell me they wish I’d talk more.
But when I open my mouth in normal conversation, I struggle to fully communicate what I want to say. I’m monotone. I speak slowly. I don’t get my emotional tone across well enough. Give me a stage, a microphone, and time to prep, then I can speak well. But in daily life interactions, I am a better written communicator.
So, I write. Daily.
Either way, whether writing or speaking, I measure my words. At least 90% of the time, I do.
And that 10% of the time where I don’t, I get myself in trouble.
The tongue is a powerful thing. It holds in it, the power of death or of life. It can build up or tear down.
The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words. – Proverbs 10:19
The standard phrase used by most is, “Think before you speak.”
But I like the way it reads in this translation: “The wise measure their words.”
Picture the words you’re about to speak spread out on a sheet of plywood. Use your brain as the tape measure. Determine how many words you need, and which angle you need to use. Then run the words through your mind again and cut them properly. Measure twice, cut once.
Then, and only then, deliver them. Wisely.
Omer Redden 