Good Morning, World! It’s Friday!

The older I get, the more apparent it has become how the little things make such a tremendous difference. Not just from a ‘devil is in the details’ sort of way, but how we oversimplify the meaning or generalize what we hear when the subtle difference could lead us down an entirely different path or understanding. One degree of separation today continues to increase as time passes and you wind up on a different coast eventually.

A few examples that come to mind-

Struggling vs Suffering-In Still Alice, Julianne Moore’s character Dr. Alice Howland addresses the Alzheimer’s Association and tells them she’s NOT suffering…she’s struggling. No pain, just frustration.

Hurt vs Harm-Dr. Henry Cloud, in Necessary Endings does a nice job of describing the difference: “We all hurt sometimes in facing hard truths, but it makes us grow. It can be the source of huge growth. That is not harmful. Harm is when you damage someone. Facing reality is usually not a damaging experience, even though it can hurt.”

Wisdom vs Intelligence-separated by the ability to put experience into action as compared to having the capacity to learn. In both cases, the assumption is that the ability to learn is prominent but wisdom has already learned and intelligence is able to. Think of a gold-medal-winning Olympic swimmer compared to a young swimmer with water wings. Both are “strong” swimmers but one has proven them self and the other merely aspires. Time, and all that comes with it, separates them.

Active listening requires paying full attention to the subtleties. When you are uncertain what someone means, be courageous enough to ask for clarification. It could make a world of difference.

Have a blessed Memorial Day weekend!

One more (slightly inappropriate yet humorous) example would be
Love vs Lust- as I heard a comedian the other day…
Love is: getting ready to meet your girl friend’s Mom & Dad
Lust is: asking her, “Who’s your Daddy?”