Monday, June 25, 2007

Closed Lips – 10 ways to avoid gossip

June 25, 2007 - Feast of Saint Eurosia


The following was in this week’s parish bulletin :
Be Positive – When a person talks about the moral failings of another person, think of something positive to say about that person.
Look before you leap – Carefully consider your words before you speak.
Avoid idle banter – Ask yourself, “What are we accomplishing by this conversation?” and don’t chime in.
Beware of the “news flash” – Don’t let juicy news eat you up. Just bite your lip and prayerfully challenge yourself to be strong in resisting the temptation to gossip.
Question the source – When you hear something that sounds unreasonable, say so.
Change the subject – Find a reasonable way to steer the conversation to something edifying.
Avoid gossips – If you know a person has a propensity to gossip, avoid that person or suggest he or she thinks about the harm he or she is causing others.
Give people the benefit of the doubt – Go out of your way to think the best of others.
Turn to prayer – Suggest that those gossiping about someone turn their attention to praying for the other person, rather than just talking about them.
The buck stops here – When you hear gossip, make a commitment not to spread it.

2 comments:

kiwimeg said...

Thanks for this post. Gossip is so destructive. These days, with celebrity gossip magazines and websites, it is being made to seem normal and acceptable instead of nasty and thoughtless.

loveandlight said...

Great post - practical and incredibly helpful!! Thank you!!!