Mindful Speaking and Writing

Our words have tremendous power. They allow people to know what we feel and what we care about, what we know and what we need to know. They can soothe others, move them to action, and spread joy and good will. They can also confuse, hurt, and spread anxiety and pain. When speech, most often in written form, finds its way into social media, the spread can be vast—for good or ill. Mindful speech begins with appreciating silence and then what happens when we break the silence. In this session, we will first consider the magic and power of speech and then explore some mindfulness practices to increase our awareness of the power and possibility of this most wonderful of human gifts. Then, we will turn our attention to writing—both practical and creative—and place our attention on what happens when we write, and how to compose with more joy and effectiveness.