Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay, I swear I’m trying to hold up my end of the bargain with this blog. Going along the lines of Bethany’s last post about doing things that make you happy, I thought I might comment about avoiding some things that make us unhappy.
Which leads me directly (for probably the first time in the history of this blog) to the point of this post: GOSSIP. I put that in all caps because, not only am I trying to spice up the formatting of this post, but also because gossip plays such a huge role in many of our lives. And to those in whose lives it does not—bless you, it’s hard to resist a juicy bit of scandal. We don’t gossip to be intentionally cruel or to hurt someone’s feelings…we do it because it’s therapeutic, because it’s easier to feel better about ourselves when we talk about others’ shortcomings, and because we really don’t think that there is a chance we’ll get caught. Are you shaking your head? Are you saying, “Well, Nadine, what they don’t know won’t hurt them…where’s the harm?” Well, perhaps you are right—who am I to determine the answer to that question? But here is a Spanish proverb to provoke a little thought, and (I can only hope) a little discussion:
Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you.
What do you think? Here’s my take: it’s a vicious cycle, and continuing to gossip only encourages an environment of criticism and negativity—a place where it’s acceptable to say awful things about one another, as long as you can find someone else to agree with you.
Think a little about your life, dear readers. Do you spend most of your time saying things that will build others up, or tear them down? Until next time, I challenge you to make some changes. It’s hard to avoid gossip entirely, but try not to participate as much. You may find that the more positively you speak of others, the greater the likelihood is that they will do the same for you.
-Nadine
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