Over Speaking

It seems that my own words are ringing back in my ears a lot these days. Words, that once spoken can't be taken back.

It has been relatively minor stuff in the scheme of things. Laughing out loud to my inner thoughts at a private joke that was going on inside of my own head (that really wouldn't be that funny to anyone but me) ... talking too much and listening too little ... and a playful banter that could have taken on a hurtful tone if the person on the other end hadn't had a sense of humor.

I need to take a breath before I speak. If I just took an extra second to think my words out before I speak them, I would live a little less in the land of regret.

I have been told that I often 'over speak'. I relinquish more details than necessary, spend a lot of words saying something when fewer words would suffice and over explain something that truly doesn't matter.

Sometimes, I can hear myself carrying on excessively and I still have a hard time putting the brakes on my vocabulary. In these cases, I often tell my patient listener that I am aware of my chattiness. But I tend to continue anyway.

Volleying words back and forth in conversation is often playful and fun. It stops being fun when one side of the conversation isn't returned in the same manner. When it comes to people that I am close to, I know there are times that my words have not been received in the intent with which they were spoken. Just because you are joking around doesn't take the sting out of something that has the potential to hurt. I have done this often enough in my life time to be aware of the dangers.

As I familiarize myself with the people who touch my life, I get more comfortable in my chatter. They hear more of me and about me than they ever wanted to know. There was a time in my life when I was a bit of an enigma. I was told once (in my quieter years) that because I didn't say a lot, people stopped to listen when I did say something. Now, I think my chattiness is akin to white noise. A person can drift out of my conversation and come back in a minute and not miss a thing.

I have a lot more fun with my life than I did in my quiet years. I have more people in my world than I did before. The people that I have semi regular contact with have taken on a feeling of 'friend'. I am comfortable in my world and with the people I surround myself with.

I like for people to get swept up in my excitement and enthusiasm so that may have a little to do with my conversational exuberance.

The one thing that I must remember to do, in this world of speaking ... is to breathe. Think more and talk less.

I would much rather be thought of as a good listener rather than an over talker.