"Whatever is written should not transgress the bounds of tact and wisdom, and in the words used there should lie hid the property of milk…" ~ Baha'u'llah
In my virtues circle last night, tact was the virtue through which we all shared what was on our hearts. I am still on a high from the workshop I attended last weekend. With great joy I shared the impact of the words I encountered and how they opened up more ways for me to express myself. This morning I am preoccupied with the temperature in my house. We have had no heat for a few months now. This was not an issue in the summer months but as we have plunged headfirst into autumn where the mornings are in the single digits things are quite drastically different. My extremities are the first to suffer as chilblains surface on my toes and fingers. This is a pesky condition I deal with every year and I must take swift action to ensure that I am warm. I double up on socks and fluffy slippers for my feet and wear gloves when I am outside. Because there is no heat indoors I have had to protect my fingers inside as well. I put some socks on my hands. It helps to keep my fingers warm and my virtues group were amused last night by the socks on my hands. This morning is particularly frigid and it is interfering with my typing this blog. I have had to keep stopping for my fingers to find warmth in a pair of socks or to cradle a cup of hot tea. I had mentioned to my landlord a couple of weeks ago that the thermostat had not power and he informed me that he was doing some work downstairs and once that reached a certain stage he would get the appropriate technician to deal with it. It is appropriate I think for another message to be sent to my landlord now. I have been thinking of this for the past few days. In my head my tone ranges from anger and frustration to kindness. I sometimes think that other tenants would not endure such hardship when they were faithfully paying rent. The quotation above is how I would like to moderate my tone. This is an ongoing relationship that I want to nurture and ensure that it remains healthy. This means that I must have the confidence to speak up and inform him of what I am experiencing. I need not be accusatory but firm in my explanation of relevant facts. To write from a position of anger may bring about circumstances that I desire but will erode the tender trust that is slowly developing. I can be courteous and loving in speaking the truth. Thinking about it, writing my thoughts here and practicing tact will bring about the desired posture I seek.