So something happened to me yesterday that I thought I had to share with you – all while discovering that there is a word such as “clearness”! You gotta love the English language 🙂 (And you guys know how much I love words and especially new words!) Following on the theme of my previous post about those uncomfortable chats and convos in #11 Moments of Knowing, I realised how one can feel just as uneasy due to sometimes knowing the answers – or at least thinking you do! The art of being clear, concise, plain, direct, coherent, distinct, logical or explicity uncomplicated is an art that many of us have yet to perfect… The below image makes us appreciate that we are not alone when it comes to this English thing..

(I know you read that in a rhyming tone voice as so many just naturally do!) So back to my story – my day started out with a standard set of meetings resulting in directives to follow up on certain action points. The long and short of it is that a simple email request for access to be granted to certain information, was not clearly and concisely very clearly made clear by me, myself and I… Resulting in the simple directive causing my email being forwarded to a superior…. and then a group of superiors… and all in such lightening speed with this gift of technology… and me reeling in the background thinking – “What have I unleashed?!?”…

In short – if you didn’t get that in my little ranting tantrum above – a seemingly simple communication, which should have warranted an immediate possibly rather direct “Yes, not a problem”, resulted in my email being unleashed in this world of “unclearness!” The word clearness as per thefreedictionary.com, often relates to the quality of water or a diamond and its clarity. As used in this post however, the word is a noun that is defined as “free from obscurity and easy to understand”.

This simple, little scenario made me take a step back, and hit another AHA! moment, realising how often in our lives the art of miscommunication plays out. So often, we’re not even aware of it. Maybe we have a certain way of speaking, a certain tone that we use or certain slang or code words that to us seem innocent and pure, and yet could be offensive to others. How often have you maybe communicated something – either an instruction or an opinion or just a little quip whether with friends or colleagues or family and it’s somehow blown out of proportion.

If anything I’ve learnt in my life, it’s that we need to be so aware of ourselves – especially our words and actions as they have the potential to cause just as much harm as good. We are always so quick to blame or look for fault in others, but as my dad always reminding us when growing up and we tattle-taled on a sibling fight – “can you clap with just one hand?”. So your sister/brother etc shouted and hit and kicked you etc and you just stood there doing nothing? Same with our words – as some of the greatest in the world remind us – Start changing yourself first before changing the world..

So today. Practice being aware. Practice being clear. Concise. And as honest and open in your communication as each situation needs and allows. And practice the art of Clearness – I certainly am… my simple request was finally simply granted – as soon as I was able to acknowledge my error, practice the art of Clearness.. and Voila! Request granted!… Just like that 🙂 Till next time then…

Much love always, Poonam

8 June 2022