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I am a huge advocate for the old adage, “Think before you speak.”

In this day and age, we have to carefully watch our words before we utter them. Misinterpretation is rampant in our society. What sounds innocent to one person may be misconstrued and seen as offensive to someone else. That’s why we must consider the other person before we say something “touchy.”

Here are six things that I believe must be eradicated from our vocabularies forever.

(In my humble opinion, they offer nothing to the human spirit. They are empty, useless, heartless phrases, and if you’re reading this, I urge you to stop saying them. Pretty please?)

1. “Have you lost weight?”

I am so frustrated with people who continually ask this question. Are you for real? This question is an absolute no-no. We cannot in good conscience ask this ever again. Human beings are innately fragile, and whether or not someone visibly looks like they’ve lost weight is none of your concern.

Because I work in the fitness industry, it’s almost laughable how many times I hear this being asked. Stop it. Please, for the love of all things holy, do not utter this phrase again. If you have nothing nice to say, close your mouth.

2. “How many times do I have to tell you…?”

Who are we to say this to someone else? An all-knowing God? Seriously, when we say this to someone, we unknowingly berate them. So what if we have to repeat ourselves a few times? We can tell people politely and diplomatically how to do things without our sarcastic, holier-than-thou attitudes and tones. Get over yourself.

3. “Take a chill pill!”

I know it’s the “it” phrase of the millennium, but I’m so sick of it, and to be honest, it’s condescending as hell. I prefer the tried-and-true word “relax” instead. With all the expressions that humanity uses today, this one just makes me cringe. Stop following the herd, and beef up on some better vocabulary.

4. “This is a waste of time.”

Nothing, and I mean nothing, is a waste of time if it teaches us something about ourselves. Read that again.

You know what’s a waste of time? Saying things like, “this is a waste of time.” Start becoming more grateful for simply being alive. Start appreciating people more, start opening your eyes and ears, listen to people when they speak, and stop downplaying experiences.

5. “I’m so bored.”

Sorry to be so bold, folks, but if we ever utter this sentence, then we might be boring.

This planet is chock-full of so many wondrous things to do, see, taste, touch, hear, smell. Are you f*cking kidding me right now? How dare we even say that we’re bored! Get a hobby. Take a walk. Call a friend. Volunteer. Read and educate yourself on a topic you know nothing about. Exercise. Do something…anything! Bored? Pfffft.

6. “I hate to say it, but…”

If we hate to say it, then we shouldn’t f*cking say it.

Instead, why don’t we be sensitive to other people and be watchful with our words? How long does it take to mindfully consider someone else’s feelings to avoid hurt, grief, or resentment? It takes only seconds.

I plead with you my readers, please be respectful whenever possible. It’s vital for us to be considerate with others. It’s a life lesson to have compassion and be empathetic. Not everyone has good graces, I know, but there are millions of us with beautiful hearts and souls that need flourishing.

So please, try your hardest to choose words of kindness, thoughtfulness, and care at all times.

I promise you it’ll take you so far, and people will ultimately respect you so much more for it.

~