Baba says, ‘Thoughts are incognito, whereas words are clearly visible. Speak less, speak sweetly and speak respectfully.‘

Our words have the power to make or break people. They have the power to lift people, to help them get through a challenge, push them into their destinies or they can push them down, make them feel insignificant and less than. Given that this is Ravan’s world, more of the latter abounds. The internet and social media is full of unkind, hurtful, condescending, critical and judgmental words. In fact, people don’t think twice before judging others. Baba comes to destroy the kingdom of Ravan and establish the new world – the world where people naturally respect one another, appreciate one another and love one another. Such a world doesn’t just appear on it’s own, I have to usher it in through my thoughts, words and actions, now, in the midst of Ravan’s world.

Often, I focus on my thoughts- thinking the right thoughts, keeping my stock of good wishes full and that’s important. Thoughts are after all, the seed. But in a world where there is so much going on in any given moment, where minds gets easily cluttered with all that noise, the worry, the anxiety,…it’s not easy to always catch what someone else in thinking. More than ever, people need me to speak words of blessing, of healing, of love. Baba says, ‘In relationships and connections, thoughts are incognito, whereas words are clearly visible.‘ I don’t know what’s going on in people’s lives- they might appear just fine on the outside but inside, they are hurting, lonely, discouraged. Many are dealing with wounds from the past, from people trying to push them down…in those circumstances, just a few words of encouragement: ‘hey, I thought you made a great point in the meeting’, ‘I thought you did great on that project’, ‘I know it’s hard but I think you are carrying yourself with so much grace’….can go a long way to lift someone’s spirits. It may not be that big a deal to me, but to them, it’s like life giving water. Baba says, ‘Speak less, speak sweetly and speak respectfully.‘

‘You are My helpers‘, He reminds me. He needs me to be His eyes, His voice, His hands to encourage His other children. The people in my life, those around me aren’t just there by accident. That security guard at the door- rather than simply pass him by day after day, ignoring him, why not speak a few words of kindness: ‘how are you today?’, ‘I appreciate you’. It doesn’t have to be long, Baba says, in fact, something good only needs a few words. Let me look around at who’s around me today – that friend at the gym, that clerk at the grocery store, that coworker at the office. Letting people know that I care does more than I can imagine. I have what they need, my words have the power to lift their spirits, lift them out of depression, cause them to pursue their dreams. People need someone to believe in them, feel that they matter. Let me not keep the blessings and the healing to myself, let me be generous and vocal. I could be thinking well of my friend all day long but unless I tell them, they won’t know.

And no matter how many times I’ve told someone they’re doing good, let me tell them again. Let me not try to withhold my blessings or try to reason it out: ‘they look like they’re doing fine, they don’t need my encouragement.’ It doesn’t matter what someone looks like from the outside, let me compliment them anyway. A kind word is never wasted. No one ever said: ‘how many times are you going to say good things to me’! But if I withhold my words, I might inadvertently keep someone from getting past that issue they’re dealing with or making that leap of faith into their next chapter.

Sometimes people are unfriendly, it seems that no matter how nice I am to them, they continue to be rude to me. The key is to mean what I say. Let me not speak nice words that ring hollow because my thoughts are not aligned with the words. If I’m saying, ‘you did great’ but inside, I’m thinking: ‘I wish you weren’t here’, then it won’t work. But other times, it’s not me, I am being genuine but the other person is caught up in their own sanskars of negativity or misunderstandings. Baba says, ‘you mustn’t become impatient in this. No matter what type of paper souls in the divine family or in the worldly community give you, even if they get angry and oppose you, insult you or defame you, they cannot shake you. Continue to keep your feelings benevolent and fruit will definitely emerge at the right time – this is fixed in the drama.‘ Let me not allow other’s external behavior to cause me to withhold my blessings. Rather than come under their influence and become negative myself, let me continue to stay positive and cause them to transform. Even though there are 10 things wrong with someone, let me appreciate them for that one specialty they do have. People respond to positivity, not to nagging or criticism.

Let me pay attention to the impact my words have on my relationships and connections. Let me look around and be deliberate about whom I can bless today with not just my thoughts but my words. And Baba often says, ‘charity begins at home‘. The best place to start at is home. Am I complimentary to my family members? Are outsiders are more complimentary to my partner or to my kids than I am? Let me appreciate each member, let me not nag, be critical, find faults. The more I speak disappointment over my kids when they falter, for example, the more they will stay down. Let me lift them up, empower them to do better, with my words. Let me never allow their ‘do‘ to get mixed up with their ‘who‘. Let me be the one that my family, my community and the world can count on.

In a world full of negative chatter, God looks to His children to be the healers, the benefactors, the lifters. Why not use words to help people feel better about themselves? One compliment, one word of appreciation can have an impact for a lifetime. It can be the thing someone holds on to each time they feel down about themselves. But what if I just think it but never speak it? People are thirsty, Baba says, for genuine soul conscious love and kindness. I have the life giving water of my words.