Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Day 396: Biting My Tongue

I talk too much.  I really do.  Mostly, too much about me.  That's a shocking confession from someone who blogs every single day, I know.  When I'm by myself, I give myself little pep talks about keeping conversations focused on the other person and doing more listening than talking and all that good stuff.  But then I get out in social situations and this crazy *need* comes over me--the need to relate every story and every statement back to me.

"That happened to you?  Oh, well, listen to what happened to me one time..."

Well, tonight I attended a church function celebrating Relief Society.  It was a dinner with a nice program.  And a lot of time for visiting before, after, and in between.  I was a long way from where I want to be, but I did forebear and hold my tongue a few times.  I let people share their stories without having to add in my own.  And I asked questions that kept the conversation focused on someone besides me.

And I guess, maybe a part of me is embarrassed that I'm proud of myself for such a small thing.  But I really am.  It's not like I always always talk about myself.  It's just that tonight, a few of the times when I was tempted to relate everything back to me, I consciously stopped myself.  And it felt really good.  And it was very much my Joyful Moment.  I'm still a work in progress, but progress is progress.  And progress is good.

Wishing you all progressive Joyful Moments!

3 comments:

Meg said...

Oh, I thought it was totally normal to do that (talk a LOT about ourselves)! J/K... I guess only in our family. :)

Linda said...

I always find your comments beneficial, so don't worry about it.

My joy was in emptying another 3 of our moving boxes. Only problem is I haven't found a home for the contents yet. :)

Nikki said...

Cheryl, from what I know about you, you are so caring and thoughtful of other people. I have always thought of you as a good listener, and I bet you are even better now than ever before.