Imagine the inner-peace that comes from no longer trying to convince anyone of anything. What would happen if you choose NOT to argue? The mantra that keeps me silent 99% of the time is "The only thing I know for certain is that I don't know anything for certain, so I don't argue with anyone about anything, I just listen." Prioritizing inner-peace means diligently and consistently overriding the ego's desire to prove itself superior. As Wayne Dyer said, "Do you want to be kind, or do you want to be right?"

To avoid being self-obsessed and desperately seeking the approval of others, Buddhism invites us to remain focused on WHO we are (our character), and be less concerned with WHAT we are (our identity and all the labels we wear). Egocentric identities are performative and outwardly expressive in order to be noticed, recognized, and praised, while your character isn't loud, it isn't censored, filtered, or polished to imitate perfection, because it doesn't seek attention. Your character can't be labeled, photographed, or quantified. Character is what's left after you lose everything that can be lost. Character is who we are in the dark 🙏

To practice the timeliness of mindful speech, I personally use the W.A.I.T acronym, which stands for "Why Am I Talking?" It serves as a reminder to pause before speaking. WAIT can also stand for Why Am I Texting? Why Am I Troubled? Or Why Am I Triggered? I've learned the hard way that speaking even the most true and kind words can create conflict if the person speaking them or hearing them is not in their right frame of mind.