My Beloved Em, my Life Partner, came up with something this week that was so fascinating - perhaps even profound in its implications -- I wanted to share it with you...
We were having a casual conversation about life in general and the things we say to each other during the natural exchanges that occur between people, when she said:
"The other day I had an interesting idea, an interesting thought. I thought: I wonder what would happen if I went around with a hand-held voice recorder wherever I went, and there was a rule that I had to turn it on whenever I spoke. Then, at night, the rule was that I had to sit down and listen to everything I said that day.
"I wonder what would change if I had to listen every night to everything I said that day." I was mesmerized by that thought. I couldn't stop dwelling on it.
It occurred to Em that this could wind up producing a great discipline. Just listening to the words that pour out of our mouths every day, and the tone and the nuance with which we said them, would no doubt open us to a deep awareness of the energy we are putting into the world.
I started imagining it. And then I realized that it would be almost unnecessary to have a recorder actually with us. All we would have to do is bring the level of consciousness to each moment that we would have IF we had a recorder with us and knew that every word was being recorded. We could use our mind as the recorder, instantly playing back the words we're saying even as we are saying them.
Then, as a real discipline, we could play back our words the moment we are thinking them, but before we are saying them. And then we could consciously choose whether to say them or not. Or whether to say them in that particular way.
I know, I know, this is just a new take on an old adage, "Think before you speak." But the recorder idea never occurred to me. I mean, one could actually do that. We could buy one of those mini pocket-size recorders and -- for a week, say -- pull it out and hit "rec" every time we open our mouths. Then sit down and listen to ourselves every night.
After about seven days of that we would begin to get very circumspect every time we even reached for the recorder...much less turned it on. And...after about a week of that...we would not need to carry around a recorder at all, I'm betting. We would become circumspect every time we simply chose to speak.
I don't know about you, but I think this would do me some good. First, I think I would surprise myself with how many times I become negative in my thinking, as measured by what words I am putting into the space. Then, too, I believe I would be taken aback a bit by the times that I use words and tone of voice to show disapproval, to belittle or make fun of, to chide or reproach, or to "correct" someone. Finally, I think I might even be embarrassed by the number of times each day that I turn a conversation back in on myself, putting myself in to the center of attention, and showering praise and glory upon my personhood!
I can see myself listening to all of this now, sitting there at night on the side of my bed, shaking my head..."Who cares? Who cares? Just...shut up. Be quiet. Keep it to yourself. Geez. Look what you're doing to the space. Look what you're putting in the room. Look what you're putting in your own mind. Geez."
My former father-in-law used to say, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Hmmph. Such simple advice. Such good, sound, simple advice.
love and hugs and best wishes on your journey...
Neale.
