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“Just do it!” is the slogan of a popular brand of sports shoes. “Follow your thirst” blares the advertisement of a softdrink. An ice cream company calls you to “give in to your craving”.
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No wonder, people, especially the youth and children, are becoming more and more impulsive. There is a lot of unnecessary buying of food, often unhealthy foods that cater to our sweet taste or curiosity, expensive apparel because of name recall brands even if cheaper but just as good items can be bought, and lots of household items, office or school articles, and bedroom post ups obtained during shopping binges because they are on sale.
The “Just do it” message has entered into the subconscious of a lot of people that there is not much reflection and judging even in relationships. Boy meets girl – physical attraction takes over, emotional needs for attention and affection drive the girl to initiate friendship while curiosity and competition with other guys makes the boy plan ways to get the girl to respond.
Very little interaction happens as far as investigating each others intellectual, psychological or spiritual maturities. Much of the time is spent in walking around the malls, watching videos together in one of their homes (and sometimes inside the bedroom where the bed can be very inviting…), eating out, or just sitting around and telling the same things over and over again. Sounds familiar?
No wonder incidences of premarital sex, abortion, heartbreaks, depression and attempted suicide, running away from home, and smoking, gambling, alcohol or drug abuse are on the increase year by year.
None of us want to have to suffer years of guilt, anger and pain because of wrong or poor choices. And parents, in spite of the many times they themselves have made mistakes in their own lives, would never want their children to go through what they have undergone. Parents have a lot of things to say to their children. The youth tend to shut off the voices of their parents as mere nagging. But no matter how they are said, those advices just have to be said!
Words have an impact in our life – on our attitudes, feelings, behavior and decisions. Before you say those words, here is a nice outline that can help you choose your words wisely, unlike those slogans of brands that have led so many people to poor choices in life:
T – true: is what I am going to say according to what I believe and know to be true or am I being dishonest, to the point of even lying
H – helpful: will what I say help improve the situation or will I be adding fuel to the fire and create more harm, enmity or problems to people
I – important: do I just blabber and create more noise, do I have to say them now or can it wait (remember the cliché “bad timing kasi”, am I the person to say it or are there other people who should be saying it
N – necessary: if it is not necessary, then there is no need to say it!
K – kind: aha! Love is the answer. If what you say is not loving and leading you and the listener towards God, then do not say it. Pray over it until you can control your anger and you can express even unpleasant things in a kind and helpful way, not belittling or insulting the other person
Well then, next time you hear words, THINK and judge what those words mean to you. And next time you speak, THINK and choose your words wisely. Be discrete or discerning. Discretion is the fruit of habitually cultivating wisdom.
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