I am finding that there is so much wisdom in Proverbs for the person struggling to speak Words of Affirmation if that is your partner’s love language.
Proverbs 13:3:
“He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.”
In this verse, we’re reminded to be guarded and not speak rashly.
Rashly means: “without careful consideration of the possible consequences; impetuously.”
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I can do so much damage with my words that would be preventable by simply taking a breath and considering the consequences of what I’m about to say and (sometimes more importantly) how I’m about to say it.
We can get better at this. It just takes practice. One interaction at a time. The good news is, in life, we’re given lots of opportunities to practice!
Try this today:
Before speaking to your WoA spouse, carefully consider the consequences of what you’re about to say and how you’re about to say it. I know that sometimes for me, after doing this, I end up deciding that I don’t even need to say that thing at all. If I decide that something does need to be said, taking this brief moment can change what I say and how I say it just enough to be fully compatible with my spouse’s love language. Consider a soft startup for instance!