What if you gave your full, thoughtful attention to the words you said-or texted, or emailed? In What Would Buddha Say?, best-selling author Barbara Ann Kipfer presents 1,501 mindful communication tips based on the Buddhist concept of Right Speech-a belief that what you say can greatly affect your happiness.

Poor communication lies at the heart of most relationship problems. Everyone wants to be heard, to be understood, and to be treated with respect. But in our digital age of texting and social media, it's easy to distance ourselves from the words we put out into the world, and many times, we may not be aware of the negative impact our words can have on people, whether they are our friends, family, or coworkers.

This is where the concept of Right Speech comes in. An important part of the Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path, Right Speech is the philosophy that what you say can positively or negatively impact your life, as well as the lives of those around you. Speech to avoid includes divisive speech, abusive speech, lies, and idle gossip. In addition, most of what we say fails to convey what we really mean in our hearts.

With this book as your guide, you'll learn thousands of tips to help you speak your truth, say what you really mean in your heart, improve all of your relationships, and choose your words wisely and conscientiously in every situation.

What Would Buddha Say?

1,501 Right-Speech Teachings for Communicating Mindfully

, Barbara Ann Kipfer PhD, Marc Lesser, New Harbinger Publications, Paperback, 440 pages, 2015, $16.95

Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD, is the author of What Would Buddha Say? and more than 50 other books, including the best-selling 14,000 Things to be Happy About, as well as The Wish List, Instant Karma, 8,789 Words of Wisdom, and Self-Meditation. Barbara has an MPhil and PhD in Linguistics, a PhD in Archaeology, and an MA and PhD in Buddhist Studies. She is a lexicographer.

Marc Lesser is the CEO of the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute. He is author of Know Yourself, Forget Yourself and Less: Accomplishing More by Doing Less.