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A day for hard words?

By February 14, 2023No Comments

An on-point piece of feedback from rupert281.

Finding the right words

The most significant words I ever uttered on Valentine’s Day were, “Would you like to get married?”

Marcella (spoiler: my wife)  turned her back on me and pretended to be asleep.

Tbh, It wasn’t the response I was hoping for. And there’s a whole funny story behind all that which, for the sake of this awesome relationship continuing for another thirty years, I might diplomatically skip here.

(Although I suspect I’ve already said too much 🫢)

“Kind is clear”

Rupert281 laid it on the line for me in that YouTube comment  Apparently, my pearls aren’t to his liking. But I admire his wit, and actually, it’s one piece of the feedback that’s got me pondering on how I’m showing up – what’s my uniform for the Michael that I’m becoming?

Feedback’s rarely the truth. But it’s always worth picking through it to find what’s useful. And sometimes you need to hear some things that aren’t yet being said.

Of all the things Brené Brown’s written, “kind is clear” might be the most resonant, most compelling call to action. 

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Michael Bungay Stanier

Michael Bungay Stanier

I'm the author of five books that have collectively sold more than a million copies. I'm the founder of Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that helps organizations move from advice-driven to curiosity-led. I'm the host of the *2 Pages with MBS* podcast.