Communication
Directness can be a compliment. You’re saying, I know you can handle this.
— Haley Nahman
Lael Johnson added 2d ago
- Try to always keep in mind that people who are unafraid to speak the truth are better for you than people who are unafraid to tell you lies. It won’t feel better. But they are better.
Lael Johnson added 3d ago
- One of my closest friends says his love language is deep attention. When I’m confused about a situation, he listens to what I have to say, directs me with careful questions, and then goes away for a few hours. Eventually, he comes back with a question or framing that slices through my fog. I treasure his speech deeply. The attention that undergirds... See more
from attending to the other by Jasmine Wang
Lael Johnson added 13d ago
If you’ve been lucky enough to have had a deep relationship with another human being, you know what pure attention and witness feel like. The poet David Whyte said that "the ultimate touchstone of friendship is not improvement, neither of the other nor of the self. The ultimate touchstone is witness, the privilege of having been seen b
... See morefrom attending to the other by Jasmine Wang
Lael Johnson added 13d ago
- "small talk is an audition for authentic connection" was a really helpful reframe
Lael Johnson added 15d ago
A good question is something that has incredible grace and light and depth to it. A good question is something that always, in some way, plows the invisible furrows of absence to find the nourishment and the treasure that we actually need.
from Walking in Wonder: Eternal Wisdom for a Modern World by John O'Donohue
Lael Johnson added 16d ago
- How can you change your outlook by changing your perspective?
This is a story I love about three stonecutters:
One morning, three stonecutters working on a cathedral construction site were approached by a traveler who was interested in their work.
The traveler posed the same question to each, seeking to understand their perspectives on their labor.
T... See moreLael Johnson added 19d ago
Lael Johnson added 20d ago
The longer I live the more I learn that love — whether we call it friendship, family, or romance — is the work of mirroring and magnifying each other’s light.
—James Baldwin
Lael Johnson added 23d ago