T: Am I sure
that this is True?
H: Is it Helpful for me to say this?
I: Should I say it, or someone else?
N: Is Now a good time to say this?
K: Is it Kind for me to say this?
H: Is it Helpful for me to say this?
I: Should I say it, or someone else?
N: Is Now a good time to say this?
K: Is it Kind for me to say this?
Mark √ for yes, X for no, or ? if you’re not sure. There could be more than one 'correct' answer. The purpose of this activity isn't to get a particular score but to reflect on the situations and whether you've witnessed or experienced something similar in your own life.
1. Cheryl got a really unflattering haircut. I told her, “Your hair looks great!”
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
____T____H____I____N____K
____T____H____I____N____K
2. As soon as Cheryl left the room, I said to my friends,
“Cheryl’s hair looks terrible, doesn’t it?"
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
____T____H____I____N____K
3. My brother did something that made me very angry. I told him, "It's really hard for me to forgive you. I need some time alone before we talk about this."
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
____T____H____I____N____K
4. I suspect my sister might be pregnant. Without asking her, I mention my suspicions to our parents.
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
____T____H____I____N____K
5. I think my sister might be pregnant. I ask her if it’s true, and if there’s any way I can help her.
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
____T____H____I____N____K
6. My name is Kanye. I was upset when Taylor won an award because I thought my friend Beyoncé should have won. I interrupted Taylor’s speech and told everyone Beyoncé’s video was better.
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
____T____H____I____N____K
7. My name is Beyoncé. When I won an award later that night, I invited Taylor back onstage to finish her speech.
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
____T____H____I____N____K
8. Kanye asked me, “Do you think I’m a jerk?” I told him “Yeah, but I like your music.”
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
____T____H____I____N____K
9. My name is Justin Bieber. After I visited Anne Frank’s house, I wrote this in the guestbook:
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
"Truly inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would have been a belieber."
(Fans of Justin Bieber's music call themselves "beliebers.")
____T____H____I____N____K
10. After Justin Bieber got a lot of criticism for his comment, I posted this at the Anne Frank Facebook page:
"Despite everything, I believe people are really good at heart."
I think before everyone goes bashing Justin Bieber we should take a moment to think about these words and why Anne said them.
(This is a real comment that was posted at the site.)
Did I T.H.I.N.K. before I spoke?
____T____H____I____N____K
Questions for further reflection and discussion:
____T____H____I____N____K
Questions for further reflection and discussion:
- In the above situations, how could “I” have chosen to respond differently, and what impact would that have had on other people?
- Did any of the situations remind you of something from your own life? What happened, and did you and the other people involved T.H.I.N.K. before you spoke?
- Have you ever said something that was true but unkind or kind but untrue?
- Is it possible to say something kind but unhelpful?
Update 12/11/19: Here's the link to a printable version of THINK Before You Speak (combining THINK 1 and THINK2). And I have several more downloadable mindfulness worksheets at my author site, catharinehannay.com.
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related posts:
Changing the Script: A Mindful Way to Handle Annoyance
Compassionate Critical Thinking (recommended book)
A Few Words About Mindful Speech
Power Struggles: Case Studies in Mindful Communication
T.H.I.N.K. Before You Speak 2
wOW! Simply great and amazing stuff!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment--you made my day! :-)
DeleteHi Catharine,
ReplyDeleteThanks for this great resource - we have included this post in our list of mindfulness case studies http://www.mbcc.com.au/case-studies This is very relevant and topical for our students.
Thanks
Bren
Thanks for your comment, Bren. I'm glad you found the post useful.
Delete