Children’s books and stories are filled with life lessons.  But sometimes as we leave our childhood behind, those lessons get left behind as well.  I am not immune to this, I do it as well, but perhaps a little reminder might be what’s in order here.  It is so easy to sit behind a computer and speak your mind to the world.  You have a, perhaps false, sense of anonymity so it’s easy to be brave.  Someone says something you disagree with and you feel the urge to attack their ideas or beliefs and you go for the juggler.  It happens every day. But once the emotions level out, you may think, “What did I say?  What did I do?” as the avalanche of responses come pouring back at you.   This always reminds me of the first lesson that Bambi learned from Thumper . . . “If you don’t have somethin’ nice to say, don’t say nothin’ at all.”

Certainly, I hope that in America you have the right to speak your mind and say what you think. But how you say it is just as important as what you say.  Is your message going to be heard or are your choice of words going to block any possibility of the other person hearing you?  Have you chosen an argumentative approach instead of speaking with respect to another person’s point of view?  Is your goal to release steam or to convey your message?  Think before you speak . . . or type.

http://www.theresadodaro.com   Author of The Tin Box Trilogy