This made me think.... gossip? Chit chatting about others may seem harmless, but in reality, it can have some very detrimental repercussions. And sometimes we can be gossiping about others without even realizing it! So let me ask you- do you ever find yourself speaking about others in less than a positive light? Well, that’s gossip. When you use your language to disempower others, you actually reinforce self-critical thought patterns and self-limiting beliefs within yourself, which in turn can lower your own self-esteem and confidence. This is because when you speak negatively about others, even in the slightest way, what you’re really doing is giving voice to areas within yourself that you desire to shift or improve. For example, if deep down inside, you’re unhappy with your body shape, you may find yourself speaking critically of another person’s weight or dietary habits. This is something you may not even realize you’re doing! And with your words, what you’re really doing is reinforcing what it is that you don’t like about yourself. What you think about and speak about, you will attract! That’s just how the Law of Attraction works. Another negative effect of gossip is that when you’re complaining about the characteristics of another person to a friend, family member or co-worker, they will subconsciously associate YOU with the negative characteristics or behaviors that you’re describing! If you’re constantly complaining about the negative characteristics in other people, others will subconsciously begin to view you with the same negative traits. To help you avoid all of these negative repercussions, here are 4 ways to help you eliminate gossip from your vocabulary and your life: Tip #1: Don’t Contribute First, if others are speaking negatively about another person, don’t feel that you have to contribute to the conversation. For example, if you’re in a group of friends and another friend is brought up and spoken about in a negative light, try to guide the conversation back to what’s happening in the lives of the people who are physically present. You could even consider saying, “You know what I’d really love to talk about? You! What’s new and exciting in your life this week? I’d love to hear about it.” Tip #2: Ask Yourself WHY? If you do find yourself engaging in negative conversations about others, consider taking a moment to step back and ask yourself WHY. Are you sharing embarrassing stories about a friend to make yourself seem interesting and funny? Are you upset with the person you’re gossiping about and you’re seeking to vent a bit of this frustration? Do you feel uncomfortable in social settings and default to gossip as a topic of conversation? Take a moment to pause and think about the motivation behind your words. Once you realize why you’re saying what you’re saying… once you get clear on the reason… you’ll find that it’s much easier to move into a more positive, uplifting conversation. Tip #3: Walk A Mile In The Other Person’s Shoes If you’ve ever heard that someone was talking about you behind your back, I’m sure you know how painful that can feel. So next time you’re tempted to engage in this behavior yourself, stop for a moment and step into the other person’s shoes. How would YOU feel if this person was running around saying these same things about you? When you take a moment to realize how hurt you would be if the roles were reversed – chances are your desire to speak about this person in a less than flattering light will be drastically diminished. Tip #4: Focus On The Positive If you think poking fun at someone else will make you feel better for a moment, remember the damage you’re doing to them and YOURSELF by gossiping. When you instead focus on all the positive qualities in other people, you’ll quickly find yourself feeling more satisfied in your relationships with others AND with yourself. Make a conscious decision to eliminate negative chatter about others from your conversation! When you do, you’ll quickly notice how much happier you feel about yourself and those people around you. Plus, you’ll effortlessly begin to attract positive relationships and opportunities into your life :)
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 20:18:26 +0000
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