Today’s Blog: What are Your Percentages?

TODAY’S PROVERBS: He who watches his mouth protects his life, but whoever opens wide his lips comes to ruin. Proverbs 13:3, TLV

Do you know talkers? Those folks who can cram more words into a moment than circus clowns in a funny car? Or are you a talker? Have we ever “ruined” a situation with our words?

Speaking is important for education, getting a job, working a job, finding a spouse, relationships, building a family — lots of things. There are also an equal number of things we shouldn’t waste words on.

Chances are, at some point we all “over talk.” And there is a reason for that. Science says that humans need to communicate to survive. Not just those early hunters warning their friend that a lion is about to get them. Or a parent yelling at their child to not go into the street. Although those are good survival skills.

Also, our faith centers around GOD’s word — both spoken and read. Praise and worship are our sacred words to the Creator of the Universe. Prayer, too.

The Percentages . . .

Those are all good things. But, honestly, we’re speaking a whole lot more than that. And what we’re talking about is, well, a bit self-centered. You see, those brainy scientists tell us people spend 60% of their conversations talking about themselves. Eighty percent when chatting on social media. (Probably no surprise.)

And the reason for talking about ourselves? These brilliant researchers concluded that it just feels good. I think we all knew that.

Unfortunately, our attention span has significantly decreased over the years to around 59 seconds, and in some cases, as little as eight seconds!

Ideally, our conversations should be give and take, with each person speaking about 50% of the time. That means staying quiet half the time. In the silence we should focus on listening — and not on what we’ll say next. Listening means a deeper, richer conversation experience.

If we tend to monopolize this time, we run the risk of alienating others.

Too many words . . .

Likewise, if we use too many words to fill the air with our voice, we run the risk of people tuning us out. Which means if we say something important in the middle of all those words, they can miss the good stuff.

When we are careful with what we say, we can avoid a lot of problems with offense, anger, disingenuous-ness, poor reputations, and so much more.

Winston Churchill said that it takes as much courage to listen as it does to speak. Wise man.

Then, of course, we have the wisest man on earth . . . What He says requires even more courage:

“So make up your minds not to prepare ahead of time to defend yourselves— for I Myself will give you speech and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.”

YESHUA (JESUS) TALKING TO DISCIPLES, LUKE 21:14-15, TLV

What if we not only listened to the person we’re conversing with, but when it’s our turn to speak, we listen to Jesus before we begin? Hmm. That would be amazing.

May we have the courage and discipline to listen, my friends.

Proverbs 13:3 Tree of Life Version – TLV, #tlvbible, #tlvproverbs

HOW ARE YOUR SPEAKING PERCENTAGES? IF THIS BLOG WAS A BLESSING, PLEASE SHARE. THANK YOU SO MUCH.