I now understand why I talk so much and this has now awarded me the power to choose

Most often the reason why I talk is because I want to put someone at ease and befriend them. I’m often very curious and conversation is a means of discovering more about someone. Talking is also an attempt to ease loneliness. The first two sometimes work the latter never. Another very interesting reason why I sometimes talk too much is due to a childhood experience that taught me that speech is powerful. The expression power of speech is what’s come to mind. This, I now understand, is actually an erroneous belief. Being a man of few words has far more power.

How is it that fewer words have more power than many?

It’s very useful for me to pose this question. When I take the time to ponder on it, the answer that comes back, are the words yes and no. I remember an instant where too many words enabled someone to humiliate me. If I’d responded to this person with either a yes or a no, my use of fewer words would have empowered me, rather than my interrogator. I would simply have not given them any ammunition to use against me. What occurs to me now is, how things would have been, if I’d remained totally silent. Even better no doubt.

When we’re mindful of our speech we’re awarding ourselves power

It is important to be aware, that without the earlier understanding I’ve come to, regarding why I used to talk too much, it’s highly likely my behavior would have remained the same. I would have continued with my verbal diarrhea (an expression also learnt in childhood) and all the problems this brings. What we believe, holds such influence over us, that mindfulness without initial analysis can be very difficult to master. We must firstly understand the root to our limiting behavior before mindfulness can really come into its own. We can of course ask ourselves during meditation: How is it I talk too much? or whatever the issue might be, and we must then seek to unravel the answers, that come back.

Learn to meditate it will lead to improved mindfulness.