My 2014 Epiphany… Being Thoughtful

By Martha Beller

Thoughtful:

Absorbed in or involving thought.Synonyms: pensive, reflective, contemplative, musing, meditative, introspective, philosophical, absorbed, engrossed, rapt…

I think I am thoughtful. At least I try very hard to be.  It can be a blessing and it can be a curse, but overall, I think, I am grateful to be it.  

Having spent this year immersed in social media, I have found one of the most important lessons of 2014 is one based in basic human nature.  

I have learned how much I enjoy working with people who make an effort to be thoughtful.  It doesn’t really matter which other personality traits that person exhibits. If there’s a good measure of thoughtfulness, the relationship will be that much better for it.

I applaud younger people who are thoughtful, because by the time I passed the age of 50, I realized I couldn’t possibly be right 100%. About exactly how it’s done, about all the implications, the intent (often even my own), about what was said, the impact of what was said.

A lot of you know how much I enjoy language. The words, their meanings, their sounds. I like dictionaries; the whole concept of having a place to go that can tell you if you’re right. For sure. That gives me certainty. Solace, even.

So being thoughtful, for me, is my way of information gathering, slowing down, trying to observe from all angles, an attempt to not come to a final conclusion until or if I need to, a way to cut others slack, because I know I can’t know what I don’t know.

While the brain is an organ not a muscle, it would seem to naturally follow that the more you think, the more you can. So thank you for being thoughtful enough to read this… and maybe even ruminate about it.  

As we approach 2015, the world keeps getting smaller and smaller.  All the more reason to open those hearts and minds, and turn your thoughts to peace, love, understanding and (my personal fave) gratitude.