Speech is charged with tremendous power. When, through speech, we communicate to a person something that upsets their balance or shocks them into grief, the words completely drain off their physical strength and mental courage. The person falls on the ground, mentally unable to stand their ground. On the other hand, when, through speech, we communicate something happy or unexpectedly cheering, the person gets the strength of an elephant. Words don’t cost anything but they are priceless. So, they have to be used with care. They must be employed not for gossip, which is barren, but for pure and productive purposes only. The ancients recommended the vow of silence in order to purify speech of its evils. A mind turned inward toward an inner vision of God and speech turned outward toward outer vision of the Lord — both will promote spiritual strength and success.