Soul Sustenance: Stopping Words that Hurt

Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.

Most of us know that it's not fun to be the victim of gossip or slander. And we know we probably shouldn't speak ill of others. But there's a new book that explores these, and also the effect of hearing too much negative talk - beginning right away with pointing out how often we get messages that it's really OK to talk bad about other people (talk and reality shows that feature sensational and controversial stories and exploit the people involved, media outlets that focus on celebrity and political scandals, other reality shows that revolve around back-biting and embarrassing other people). I've heard a lot lately about using the acronym THINK before talking - True (or Thoughtful), Honest, Intelligent, Necessary, Kind.

In Stopping Words that Hurt, Dr. Michael Sedler explores why gossip is so easy to fall into and discusses avoiding gossip and "verbal contamination." What I find even more helpful, however, is the fact that at the end of the book, there is a chapter on words that heal, a chapter on restoring relationships, and a set of eight clearly written guidelines to help prevent falling into using words that hurt in the future.

I liked the book, but especially those last three chapters. Without condemning anyone, the book is clear on the dangers and repercussions of negative speech. But instead of just looking at prevention (which is important) it also looks at healing and restoring, which helps fill out the book and make it even more helpful and hopeful.