Whatever. 🙄
I finally know that I am so much more than what I do.
So I changed my profile. Instead of announcing what I do, I introduced others to who I am:
I am a kindful communicator.
Yes, I made it up; it's a portmanteau, i. e., a word that combines the sound and meanings of other words to create something new. Brunch (breakfast + lunch) and dramedy (drama + comedy) are examples of portmanteaus.
Kind + mindful = kindful
For me, kindful communication captures what I've been spending my adult life teaching both myself and others. It pairs kind, the quality of being considerate with mindfulness, the ability to be aware.
Being mindful in the moment is the base of competent communication. We don't go into auto-pilot or recite stale scripts. We remain aware, so we can then see the array of responses available in front of us.
And in the spirit of being good human beings, when we scan the communication choices that mindfulness reveals, we choose the kindest option for that specific situation.
kind + mindful = kindful
It all goes back to one of my favorite quotes (explored in my very first Head Tilt!):
"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space lies your freedom and power to choose your response. In those responses lie your growth and your happiness."
And yes, much like Mean Girl's Gretchen Weiners' "fetch," I'd really like to make kindful happen!
So with my 53rd post on my 53rd trip around the sun, here is my birthday wish:
Let's make kindful happen, together!
What do you think? Who's in?
And to slightly modify the fantastic words of Dalai Lama,
Be kindful whenever possible.
It is always possible.
Insider tip: Kindful isn't synonymous with "fake" or "Pollyanna." When aggravated, for example, sometimes the kindest option available is biting your tongue. If that is the most considerate choice you can see in the moment, that's still kindful.
😉