Sunday, May 20, 2007

Quote of the day

"A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men. It is the bread of the spirit, it clotheth the words with meaning, it is the fountain of the light of wisdom and understanding"

- Baha'u'llah

How important it is to have a kindly tongue! This is something we neglect so often - I do it all the time, I'm sure... However precious the message might be, if delivered without kindness and love, it is of no use whatsoever. This is in fact so critical that it is the lodestone of the human heart - it is what attracts the hearts of men to us. Whether people understand you or not, whether they accept what you say or not - the true bond between hearts is formed only when words are spoken with gentleness, kindness and love. Kindness is described as the "fountain of the light of wisdom and understanding" - even if you have the wisdom and knowledge, that will only flow and wash over others when delivered through the fountain of a kindly tongue. Not only that, it is the bread of the spirit - it is what feeds our own spirit, purifying and refreshing it. How beautiful and powerful a message!

I have resolved to think of this quote once every day at least. Maybe this way, at least occasionally I might be reminded, at the right moment, that a kind word can be a million times more precious than the rarest of gems.

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