365 dAys of aRt. DAY THIRTY-SEVEN.

quiet words
that hurt worse
than the loud ones said to my face
it's a waste
to waste time making statements that make way for hate
and make hearts break
and heads shake
i disapprove
so remove the clouded view
and renew your sense of being
seeing the good side of me
and the rest of humanity
is the meaning of love
your need to be speaking, not deceiving

7 tips for giving up gossip

(1) Recognize that gossip doesn’t undo the situation you’re talking about. It only puts in motion another situation based on negative feelings.
(2) Know that comparing yourself to others is useless. Everyone has his or her own talents. In this way, give up jealousy and the need to put others down.
(3) Be aware of and transform your own thoughts, words, and deeds rather than commenting on those of others.
(4) Train your mind to see others’ positive qualities and discuss them. This will make you much happier than gossiping ever could.
(5) Forgive, knowing that people do harmful things because they are unhappy. If you don’t make someone into an enemy, you won’t want to gossip about them.
(6) Have a sense of humor about what you think, say and do, and be able to laugh at all of the silly things we sentient beings carry out in our attempt to be happy. If you see the humor in our human predicament, you’ll be more patient.
(7) Practice saying something kind to someone every day. Do this especially with people you don’t like. It gets easier with practice and bears surprisingly good results.