The next time you are tempted to say something hurtful to someone just because you're angry, you might want to stop and remember this story: it's a keeper. There once was a little boy

 The next time you are tempted to say something hurtful to someone just because you're angry, you might want to stop and remember this story: it's a keeper.

There once was a little boy who had a very bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him, “Every time you lose your temper, hammer a nail into the fence.”

On the first day, the boy had driven 37 nails into that old wooden fence. His arms were sore, his shirt was soaked in sweat, and the hammer had bounced back and smacked his thumb twice.

“Great,” he muttered. “Now I’m angry... and injured!”

But as the days went by, the number of nails he hammered daily began to dwindle. He discovered it was easier to keep his temper than to keep hammering. Eventually, he stopped losing his temper altogether.

Proud, he ran to his dad and announced, “I haven’t hammered a nail in two whole weeks!”

His dad nodded, impressed. “Very good. Now, each day you keep your cool, pull one nail out.”

So the boy did. It took weeks, but finally all the nails were out.

Then his father brought him to the fence and said, “You’ve done well, son. But look at the fence. The nails are gone, but the holes are still there.”

The boy stared at the fence, then blinked and asked, “So... you’re saying I should've just taken up yoga?”

His dad laughed. “No, I’m saying words are like nails. You can remove them, but the mark they leave may never go away.”

The boy nodded slowly. “Got it, Dad. So... what if next time I just throw the hammer and scream into a pillow?”

“Better,” said the dad. “Just aim away from the TV.”