By way of explaining my column this week, please understand that honesty has always been my best policy. It isn’t always easy, it isn’t always comfortable, and the decision to be honest may sometimes need to be cleared with others. Given all of this, I absolutely trust that ultimately, direct communication, delivered with respect and regard, can work magic. It feels good too!
Of course this begs the question: what do you do when people don’t agree with your honesty? Take a breath, listen to exactly what they are saying, not what you think you are hearing, discuss your differences and then, if necessary, agree to disagree … no matter how wrong you believe they are!
But engaging in verbal battles seems to have become standard practice for so many in our society. These days. it feels like a national sport! People turn up the volume, which ironically, just makes their message harder and harder to hear. I find this kind of communication to be a total waste of time, for one, very simple reason; when no one is truly, accurately listening to what the other person is saying, nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, will change.
So, here I am, being honest … and yes, it’s perfectly okay if you disagree with me.