Watching My Tone
Today I am grateful for an important conversation with an old friend and the reminder of the seriousness of active addiction. I am also grateful for the sunshine that we could relish in yesterday, even as a chance of snow returns today.
I wrote about setting the tone the other day; for a trip, for a day. Setting the tone includes watching my tone. My tone of voice, inflection, expression. I can have a biting tongue, reserved mostly for my family. Those we love the dearest also get the brunt of our ugliness. It's not that ugly that often, but it's certainly still something for me to be tuned into.
And I try to be aware of my tone as I interact with students, parents, colleagues in my work setting. The art of communication includes so much regarding inflection, volume, emphasis. (I fear we are losing this art as we lose face to face communication for more device to device communication. But that's for another discussion.)
A soft, patient, and gentle tone can go a long way in certain situations, as can a firm and authoritative one in other circumstances.
Watching my tone also includes my tone with myself. I strive to be kind and gentle with the tone I use on myself, but some days, or parts of days, it can be anything but. On many days, I run the gamut of tones with myself.
My goal, though, is to spend more of my waking hours speaking and thinking compassionately to and about myself, in all of my flawed humanness. That makes my sleeping hours more peaceful.
It makes my days more peaceful too, and my interactions with others as well.
I wrote about setting the tone the other day; for a trip, for a day. Setting the tone includes watching my tone. My tone of voice, inflection, expression. I can have a biting tongue, reserved mostly for my family. Those we love the dearest also get the brunt of our ugliness. It's not that ugly that often, but it's certainly still something for me to be tuned into.
And I try to be aware of my tone as I interact with students, parents, colleagues in my work setting. The art of communication includes so much regarding inflection, volume, emphasis. (I fear we are losing this art as we lose face to face communication for more device to device communication. But that's for another discussion.)
A soft, patient, and gentle tone can go a long way in certain situations, as can a firm and authoritative one in other circumstances.
Watching my tone also includes my tone with myself. I strive to be kind and gentle with the tone I use on myself, but some days, or parts of days, it can be anything but. On many days, I run the gamut of tones with myself.
My goal, though, is to spend more of my waking hours speaking and thinking compassionately to and about myself, in all of my flawed humanness. That makes my sleeping hours more peaceful.
It makes my days more peaceful too, and my interactions with others as well.
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