CAUTION! Install mouth filter before speaking...

is anyone out there an extrovert like me, that processes thoughts out loud for all to hear? how has that worked out for you?

for years, it put me at a huge disadvantage in ministering to people, leading people, and just communicating clearly. especially when the receptor(s) is an introvert, processing most every detail internally. i have been accused of being brash, harsh, opinionated, insensitive, a poor listener, overbearing, excitable, random, and at times a total jerk. for these accusations i stand guilty as charged, but God is helping me to discover a way to embrace who i am and still avoid the carnage.

i call it a mouth filter. it starts with my thoughts and meditations and ends with the abundance of my heart flowing out of my lips, but only after they have had the "Brita" treatment.

three questions. three steps. that lead to more healthy and considerate speech.

MOTIVE . BENEFIT . NEED

what is my MOTIVE for saying this? to bring attention or recognition to myself and my experiences or to encourage and build someone else up?

who or what will my words, if said, truly BENEFIT? are they beneficial to anyone other than myself?

do these words really NEED to be said? what will happen if they are not? what will happen if they are?

this is a filter i have been led to start applying before i say pretty much anything. it accomplishes so many things, not least of which is that it forces me to slow down in my responsiveness and forces me to weigh my words and their impact before they are said.

i have found that taking words back before they are said is more feasible than retrieving them once they have been released!

what is your experience with words - your own and others towards you? Craig Groeschel has a couple great posts on the swerve blog this week regarding the power of our words.

i'd especially love to hear from fellow extroverts, or others who have been left reeling in the wake of our words.