It’s Wrong When You Say It

Jan 15, 2024

Dear Friends,

Some years ago at a talk, a teacher was speaking about impermanence — how everything arises, exists and passes, and there is no holding to anything.

A person in the audience spoke up, and said to the effect:

“So true, all life is impermanent,” and went to share a more disengaged, aloof approach to life.

The teacher, noticing the person was interpreting it differently, responded essentially:

“It is true that everything is impermanent, but it is not true when you say it.”

She was being playful, but she had a point.

The Place Words Come From

What she meant was that the same words can be spoken, and they can come from different places inside of us.

I can say “everything changes” from a place of openness and a deep investigation of life, or I can say those exact same words from a place of fear and resistance.

The words are heard, but the place we speak them from is often felt by others.

Words and Travel Partners

We could say that all words have a “travel partner.” And the travel partner is the depth of our own experience.

This is what makes a great teacher or an impactful engagement.

It is not only the words: It is the depth of presence and learning that accompanies the words.

A thousand people could have given the “I Have a Dream Speech” by Martin Luther King, Jr. Beautiful words, but I would suggest the real power was who he was, his access to Being, and his commitment to the message, his dream, our dream.

Bigger than Words

Words are great, but there is something else — the silent travel partner, our connection to care, love, and purpose, the depth of our commitment.

So today, may the words you speak be thoughtful, but more importantly, may your words also have good travel partners, which is your own depth of presence and heart.

A HELLO with heart is so different from a HELLO without heart.

Blessings,