From Your Head to Your Mouth

“It’s hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head.”
Writer Sally Kempton

Last week we talked about the power of our thoughts, both positive and negative. If you missed it you can read the article “It’s All in Your Head” on the website or scroll down and read it here.


Right behind our thoughts come our spoken words (or in some unfortunate cases, our mouths get out in front of our heads). The following is paraphrased from In the Eye of the Storm by Max Lucado.

Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king coveted his treasure. A horse like this had never been seen before – such majesty, splendor and strength.
People offered great sums for the steed but the man loved the horse and refused to sell, despite his poverty and great temptation.
One morning the horse was gone from his stable. The villagers called the old man a fool for not selling the horse before someone stole it. They scoffed at him for thinking he could hold and protect such an animal. He could have named his price, now the horse was gone and he was cursed with misfortune.
The old man responded, “Don’t speak too quickly. Say only that the horse is not in the stable. That is all we know; the rest is judgment. If I’ve been cursed or not, how can you know or judge?”
The people contested, “Don’t make us out to be fools! We may not be philosophers but great philosophy is not needed. The simple fact that your horse is gone is a curse.”
The old man spoke again. “All I know is that the stable is empty. The rest I don’t know. Whether it be a curse or a blessing, I can’t say. All we can see is a fragment. Who can say what will come next?”
The villagers laughed, more convinced that he was indeed a fool. He could have lived in luxury, but
was living in the misery of poverty. Now he had proven he was a fool with his foolish words.

Two weeks later the horse returned, bringing a dozen beautiful wild horses with him. The villagers gathered around him saying, “Old man you were right and we were wrong. What we thought was a curse was a blessing. Please forgive us.”
The man responded, “Once again you go too far. Say only that the horse is back and he has brought a dozen horses with him. Don’t judge. How do you know if this is a blessing or not? You see only a fragment, not the whole story. Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life with one page or one word. Don’t say that this is a blessing. No one knows. I am content with what I know. I am not perturbed by what I don’t”.

“Maybe the old man is right”, they said to one another, so they said little. But down deep, they knew he was wrong. They knew it was a blessing. The horses could be broken and sold for much money.

The old man had an only son. He began to work with the wild horses to break them. Soon after, he fell from one of the horses and broke both legs. The villagers gathered once again to cast their judgments. “You were right. The horses were not a blessing. They were a curse. Your only son has broken his legs and cannot help you in your old age and you are poorer than ever.”

“You people are obsessed with judging”, the old man said. “Don’t go so far. Say only that my son broke his legs. Who knows if it is a blessing or a curse? We have only a fragment. Life comes in fragments.”

Several weeks later the country went to war and all the young men of the village were required to join the army. Only the son of the old man was excluded due to his injury. The villagers gathered around crying and wailing because their sons had been taken. The enemy was fierce and the young men were unlikely to return.

“God knows you were right old man”, they wept. “Your sons broken legs were a blessing. At least he is with you and our sons are gone forever.”

The old man spoke again, “It is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions. No one knows. Say only this. Your sons had to go to war and mine did not. No one knows if it is a blessing or a curse. No one is wise enough to know. Only God knows.”



This story illustrates how our thoughts and words get us into a swirl of doubt and anxiety. We follow it up with lamenting and judgment that may or may not be true. The end result is a mass of reactionary chaos inside and out. Remember, a thought is just a thought until we attach meaning and emotion to it and act on it.

When we can take a step back, observe what “is”, and avoid making interpretations, we are in a calmer more focused position to think clearly and problem solve. Mark Twain said, “I have known a great many disasters in my life. Most of them never happened.”

How we speak about the events and circumstances of our lives has great impact on how we respond. Notice your tone and your inflection. Observe how the meaning behind your words colors both your choice of words and how they sound to your own ears. Then follow the action. What behavior results from the way you talk about the event or circumstance? Do others join you and follow your lead? What happens to the relationship(s) involved?

Since the economic downturn my business has slowed. When people asked me how things were going I would say, “It has slowed down some. I am not as busy as I would like to be.” That was true, but I began to notice some resignation in my voice. Now I say, “My clients are making great progress and I am always looking for new and exciting opportunities.” Do you hear the difference? It is also true that opportunities and clients abound. There are still 6 billion people (potential clients) on the planet and no money has left the earth either. It is still here. There is no lack or shortage. And – lo and behold – some new and exciting opportunities are showing up.

There is great power in our thoughts and words. Choose and speak wisely. Refuse to participate in negativity.

Life is DEEP and it is W I D E
emerge…Explore…EXPAND

Beth