Do you feel like you’ve ever truly been able to get the right words across?
This is something I’ve been wondering about ever since, just recently, I found myself in a situation where it took me many months to send a single email.
You see, although I had known what it was that I wanted to convey from the very beginning, I had a difficult time expressing myself. (And, as both a writer and a perfectionist, this simply would not do.) So, rather than sending the email half-formed, I just kept putting it off and putting it off. Feeling as though I would never quite be able to capture the sentiment, days went by, and then weeks, and eventually months.
What finally made me send it was the realization that I would never really be able to fully articulate how I felt — and that, although I couldn’t quite get the words down as perfectly as I would like, this shouldn’t keep me from saying anything at all.
Often times, when we’re communicating with others (whether it’s verbally, electronically, or through body language), the underlying intention of our message is much more important than what is actually said or done. I can’t count the number of times I’ve found myself wishing that this person or that person would reach out just to say anything at all, regardless of whether or not it was anything particularly interesting or articulate. As far as I was concerned, the details were insignificant; it was far more important to me that they simply had the intention of wanting to maintain some sort of a connection.
Much of the time, it really is the thought that counts. The next time you find yourself struggling to get your thoughts across, keep in mind that the way in which you say something is rarely going to be the most important part of that conversation.
Jana Marie is a Croatian-born writer living amidst the restorative embrace of the Canadian Prairies.
Through her writing, she examines the interplay between self and society as she works to both illuminate and explore the power of contemplative thinking. Her recently completed two-year project, 100 Mindful Days, which combines teachings from the worlds of personal development, self-care, and wellness, will soon be her first book.
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