There’s a vast chasm between…
Tag: communication
Anyway
Your emotionally immature parent Took things as they came Gave everything they had Hoped it would be enough. Your emotionally immature parent Saw the best in you Believed the best in you Tried to see the best in themselves. Looked. Hoped. Believed. Your emotionally immature parent Actually cared Tried to make life good for you…
In the End
We kept her alive maybe longer than we should have. The four of us. But those extra years were bonus years. Even when she didn’t know us…
When the Cows Cry
In the evening, the cows up on the hill at the Lonesome Dove Ranch cry as if they’ve lost their calves. It reminds me of my last phone call with my father.
The Problem With You
Be different. But not completely different. Just different in the way we think you should be different. Different in the way we think others think you should be different. Because we know. And they know. Better than you. Who you should be. Regardless of who you are.Regardless of how you feel.Regardless of what you know.Regardless…
Long Enough
I’ve lived long enough to know that it’s possible to crush someone’s spirit into non-existence. To break someone down so they can’t take another step. Miraculous healing is possible, but it often empowers those who’ve done the crushing to keep doing it indefinitely. Consequences level the field and are, perhaps, the best and most honest…
Less Energy
It takes less energy to actually care than it does to pretend that you do.
Kind of the Same
Some flavors—like apple and banana and cilantro—pervade and overpower anything and everything they’re mixed with. Other flavors are more subtle but just as delicious. It’s kind of the same with people.
Fly Free
There’s a passage in the Bible about becoming as little children that I often ponder. It’s worth considering whether or not you’re a Christian. I don’t think for a moment that it’s a call to become like fifth graders or even two-year-olds in terms of self-seeking behavior. What I do believe it means is flying…
Hijacked
When you let your beliefs hijack your neutrality in what data you select and how you interpret them, you’ve fallen victim to confirmation bias. To correct for it, err on the side of disconfirmation. Seek evidence that challenges your beliefs—and raise the burden of proof for evidence that affirms them. ~Adam Grant Many of the…
Rare But Never Wrong
We always have the freedom to treat others well—employees, customers, clients, contractors, vendors, colleagues and strangers we meet on the street. It’s never wrong to treat people with respect, regardless of status or circumstances—ours or theirs. It is never wrong to be kind, even in the face of disagreement or communication breakdown. These things are…
Fragmentary Life 