So many words...

I have never really been at a loss for words. There are so many thoughts that run through my head on a daily basis, so many that I speak, and then there are the pictures. If a picture can speak a thousand words, then my daily total must average in the millions some days. Words have been a constant in my life. I love the written and spoken word. I appreciate the way words can paint pictures, the manner in which vocabulary can enrich a thought or sentence.

And yet, I am challenged to speak less. To be still. To breathe. To listen. To rest. To be grateful. To be silent.

I love Pandora Radio. I have a variety of stations that I play. Lately, it has been simply listening to various piano and string pieces. No words. And amazingly such peace washes over me.

With the help of some very wise friends and family I have been realizing how harmful some of the words I have been hearing have been. Some of the words were things I have been telling myself. Others were messages that I've carried with me for a long time. I am learning to turn down those unwanted thoughts or words and their negative messages. There is a place for honesty and recognizing one's faults. There is also a time to put them aside and not keep living them and thereby breathing life into them. Doing so serves no purpose other than to take our life and breath away. And life is precious, not to be wasted.

And so, I want to use fewer words. To appreciate simplicity. To use my words wisely. To think intelligently. To  be authentic in my thoughts and actions. To be happy. To be open to others. To set an example. To love and be loved. To be healthy. To be at peace.

I'm on my way.