Spewing Poison

I have always loved the simple way Dr. Seuss packs a punch with very few words. If could, for this post,  I would change the word STEP in the above quote to SPEAK.

 I have been thinking a lot about the power of spoken words.  Recently, as I read my Facebook wall I was  embarrassed by many of the comments my friends had written.  It started to really bother me as I am a big fan of people speaking their peace and getting things out of their heads and hearts--so I was wondering why it was bothering me so much...

I was talking to my roommate one night and I sharing with her my thought on the subject  and I said, "It's like people are just spewing their poison all over everyone."  THAT WAS IT!  It wasn't that people were feeling or even wanting to share their feelings it was they way in which they were doing it. 

It's okay to have poison inside you.  It's okay to want to share it, get rid of it, or even to spew it. What is not okay is just spewing your poison on anyone that will listen.  Not everyone is ready to handle your poison.  And not everyone realizes that might just be your feelings IN THAT MOMENT.

As a therapist I encourage my clients to let everything out, let go of anger, hurt, pain, betrayal, regret--their poisons.  I hope to create a safe place for them to do this, however, so they don't have to vent out all their negative feelings to their family, friends, coworkers etc.

Being a safe place for someone to share their unspeakable things is a gift. Finding people in your life with whom you can share your poisons is a gift.  Just be careful because your words have great staying power.  It is much easier to forgive your words than it is to forget them.