If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering outspoken fellow, but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much” - Mark Twain
How do we, humans react in such conditions? We tend to complicate our emotions! Our relationship is often mixed with lack of trust, fear of loss of control, hesitancy to expose our vulnerability, doubt, and a resistance to relinquishing our own self-interest. What do we do then? We talk a lot! We want to be the center of attention. We want to inflict pain on someone else…verbal pain, especially when we are angry or hurt. We want to control the conversation or situation.
It is like the cat’s way of hissing. Unfiltered words can destroy a relationship. We should learn to put a lid on our lips and practice self-control.
We should know that the world around us has an intense charm to reap what we sow 
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When we hiss, the world tends to hiss back. When we criticise, condemn, attack, act self-righteously, etc. we tend to see that strongly coming back at us like an enormous mirror.
Conversely, when we begin to purr, when we begin to show some understanding and even appreciation of the other, that is the energy that tends to come back at us. Then the situation can spiral upward.
This fundamental concept applies to anything whatsoever—to any dispute, to any situation, to any relationship of whatever nature, to any feeling or thought that shows up inside of us—to anything at all.
This fable reminded me again the value of talking less. As Kathrine Palmer Peterson said: “Our words should be purrs instead of hisses. ”
“Lord, grant me the help of your Spirit to think about my words before they leave my mouth forever. Give me such love for You and others that I speak with THEM in mind, and not just myself. When I would speak angrily, grant me grace to put a lid on it! May I be seen and HEARD as wise because of both the QUALITY and QUANTITY of my words. Amen.”
