Day 34: Words We Won't Say
Have you ever withheld from saying something? Or never had the opportunity to say something you really wanted to? I think we can often fall prey to leaving words left unsaid, words that will later come back to plague our minds.
People have the tendency to hold back from saying something because they fear rejection or embarrassment. Just look at the younger generation, they say anything and everything that comes to mind. They have no filter and they mean every single word they say. Where has that brutal yet beautiful honesty gone?
We are taught at an early age to withhold certain things and avoid saying something because we have been hurt too many times. People criticize us for saying something we believe in or how we feel and because of that we sink into the shell of meaningless chitchat.
Vulnerability takes courage, it takes a lot of strength to put yourself out there and say the things that are on your heart. People will lash out at those who speak their heart because they are afraid to do so themselves. Because it is so frightening to step out on that limb of honesty, we cower behind silence. The sentences and words that are on the tip of our tongues get tucked into a lock box that sinks heavily into our chest.
Our conversations become barren landscapes, they lack meaning because we lock the meaning deep within. We fear others reactions if we speak up and we are later filled with regret from not saying what we wanted to. This regret can plague us for such a long time, it sits heavily by the unspoken words, tightening our breath and keeping us from speaking in the future.
When we finally come to terms with the words we wouldn't say and find the courage to say them, we are have lost the opportunity. The times have changed, the people have moved on, the circumstances are different and you are left with those words again. Ready to say them, but unable to give them a place to go.
The next time you feel those unspoken words rising to the top, do not push them back down. Allow them to spill out and find their place in the world. Often the feeling of release, no matter the reaction we receive, will always be a better feeling to sit with than the regret of not saying something. We are lighter than we would have been.
Speak up, say what is on our heart and what is on your mind. Find the courage and vulnerability to say it all. Release the words you hold within and feel your chest become lighter.
Until Next Time,
Lillian Merritt
