“You can say YOU to me”. Some say that it was a former German President who made this offer to the Queen of England when they met… others say it was a German Chancellor who said so to an American President… we don’t really know if it’s true but it would express the intention of creating a certain degree of familiarity :-)…
At the same time, it shows the confusion that can occur when one’s native language has both formal and informal forms, e.g. in German “Sie” vs “Du” and in French “vous” vs “tu”. It’s much easier with the English language: YOU is good for both forms and it’s the word of the month as you surely had already guessed.
Still, that easy “YOU” in English can also be confusing as it can mean that YOU are referring to one or to several persons. YOU addresses the “other(s)”: the same word regardless of how many others. Like when I write YOU in this e-mail: I’m communicating with each of YOU personnally but it may feel like I’m doing so with YOU as a group. Other languages differentiate the one YOU and the group YOU and allow for a more precise communication.
Have YOU ever experienced misunderstandings when using YOU, whether in an e-mail or during a meeting? Do YOU have an anecdote to share?
How was that first month of the year for YOU? I hope that YOU’re “on schedule” for reaching the goals that YOU’ve set for 2019. Should YOU currently sense a somewhat lower motivation, just keep on with the good work! I admit that I sometimes allowed the gray weather to distract me too much…
When I was looking at which Y-word to choose, I also saw “youth”… and found it interesting to see the combination YOU+TH. And we do live in a society that treats youth as a state of perfection. And don’t worry, I’m not going to entertain YOU about superfood, anti-aging creams, etc. and their well-marketed benefits. I just think that youth is a feeling and a state of being that we can choose. I once read that when YOU’re in-between asleep and awake in the morning (for 1 or 2 seconds), that first little sense that YOU have about yourself… is always the same self or conscience that is… ageless. Yes, it’s always young (YOU+NG)! Keep this in mind every morning when YOU wake up and keep that feeling with YOU for the rest of the day. Try it… and just become aware of what it does with YOU… and with your life.
The well-known company YouTube also includes YOU in its name (as it has become a name of its own, we may not even realise that anymore). “Your video sharing site” represents its purpose. Tell me, if YOU had your own YouTube channel, what would you like to share with the world about YOU? I know that may sound scary but if YOU had the time and if YOU could stand the visibility it offers, what is that one topic, that one issue, that one experience, that one gift of yours that YOU would like to express?
Have a great day! The sun is shining in Hannover!
Inspiringly yours,
Caroline