Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking created profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.

Lao Tzu.

I read an article today that laid emphasis on being silent and not speaking much. It laid emphasis on how a person can be more successful by not saying a word and making people think he is a master. This can be a case where a person is working towards the goal of life and is in a professional field, where sometimes a person needs to be silent so as to gain the confidence of the person sitting on the other side of the table. Well, different things at different times.

Well, it is also said that one should be mindful enough to use the right word at the right time. As we are given the example of Draupadi from Mahabarata, was her one line called in for a war between the siblings? In the same way a quote that is used by media people in their lectures says that “a pen is mightier than the sword,” it is used to evoke emotions in people and can lead to war or peace depending on the words they write, but is it the pen that writes or the person who is writing?

Let’s check what happens in different situations by choosing the right word:

A kid comes to his or her mom with a broken vase. At this point, the kid is showing the true side of their nature. Now it is the turn of the parents to decide whether to thrash the kid for the broken vase or appreciate their truth and mindfully discuss with them that it is ok that it happened, but they should be more mindful next time. This will give the child the confidence to pour their hearts out and experience the fact that the truth is also good.
That one paper of math in which you couldn’t score: when a child scores less and returns home with the note book to be signed by the parents and they are abused or thrashed for the bad marks but are mindfully led in the right direction, which may be some extra classes or giving special attention to the subject.
When the kid is caught stealing for the first time, it may happen when your kid, due to external pressure, tries to steal something or money from home and gets caught. Rather than calling him names, now is the time to repair the confidence that they have lost and try to reach the bottom of the situation as to what led them to take such a decision.
When they are caught smoking or drinking, it is important to take them seriously, and now is the time to ask why they made such a risky decision. They need to check to see why they have gone so far, and they need to be heard, silently and patiently.
The above scenario could be a reason why a person makes a mistake or takes a step that needs to be reviewed. The least we can do is use the right word or words and try to be compassionate with the person to let them make the right decision. As it is said, “a right word said at the right time is what is needed to make a difference.”