AI generated cartoon of the This is Fine dog with a can of Harpoon IPA and modified quote bubble adding, ‘as far as you know’

Before you read on, start this classic song from Frida to play in the background.

“I hope this finds you are well.”

This statement is often the first line of emails or other greetings. Most would think that it is a good thing, expressing hope that the recipient is well. However, I have heard people mocking it, saying it’s cliché or insincere, even a throwaway statement. Yet I see it differently; heck, I have heard this statement attributed to a quote from the Bible, not to mention it being a nice way to connect with others. Personally, I have been using the following statement, which builds on this opening statement:

“I hope the finds everything is as greatest as possible with you!“

Why this? First off, it is how I truly feel. Second, it acknowledges there may be things in life that are outside of our control. Despite this, I hope things are at maximum greatness. Even using this phrase, I realize my wish may be far from reality. That’s why these days I go into most situations assuming that is the case, and that there’s something going on.

Perhaps it all started five years ago when we were told to shelter in place; for some, depending on where you lived, this was a longer period of time than for others. In some ways, as much as things are back to “normal,” some things – and people – are not. Then there’s the specifics: unemployment, debt, relationships, your health, others health, inflation, the economy, politics… the list goes on. Sometimes it’s obvious to see or know that people are impacted by any of these.

In most cases, however, it is not obvious to see. To begin with, we often don’t actually “see” each other, whether in person or virtually. Even with people in close proximity we may only text or message them. Add to that the fact many people don’t turn on their cameras in meetings, whether work, non-profit or just friends, and the read of someone’s expressions is lost. Sure, you have people who wear their hearts on their sleeves and thru text or voice will convey their true stories and feelings, but those cases are less than more often.

I now try to look for something that may be going on, and the emphasis is on the word “try;” where my desire is to be as courteous, aware and empathetic as possible, I often miss the mark. Those self-absorbed times are usually when I myself have stuff going on. Yes, all of this applies to me too.

Deconstructing What’s Going On

Realizing something is going is not a sign of weakness by any stretch, rather a requirement in our world today. It plays into how we can and should approach people or anything we do involving others. On the flipside, hopefully others consider this for ourselves and how they approach us. If not, perhaps a little opening up is in order, even if it’s just our webcam.

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This is from The Hot Iron, a journal on business and technology by Mike Maddaloni.

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