Hello friends and new friends—so many new faces this week!

It’s Catherine Greer writing to you from summery Australia. Wish I could fly you all here to walk this beautiful beach with me. It’s my favourite place in the world…Hyams Beach in New South Wales. Take a peek and follow me on Insta for pretty pics now and then.

Here’s a story for you: on Tuesday I had a zoom chat with a friend who lives in England. We were talking about a problem I’ve been having lately, and she offered some ideas to fix it.

But the brilliant part? Here’s how she helped. Instead of telling me what she thought, she phrased it as a gentle question.

Like this:

Maybe you lovely women from the UK say this all the time, but WOW. So smart.

That phrase is golden.

• Imagine saying to your teen, “I wonder if you could plan your weekend so you can get your assignment done AND see your mates?”

• Or to your partner, “I wonder if you’ve thought about spending more time together.”

• Or to a colleague, “I wonder if our client expects…”

Yes, yes, I know there’s a time to be direct. I know we’re empowered to speak freely and share our thoughts. I understand that everyone is big on boundaries and saying what they mean, and I get it.

But.

But!

Sometimes gentleness is the better way. What about those times when, like water cutting through stone, we can be soft and listen and suggest improvements in a way that someone else can hear?

I treasured how my British friend spoke with me. I felt loved and seen. I felt respected. I thought about it for days afterwards, and wanted to share with all of you.

If you have a tricky conversation coming up, consider leading with “I wonder if….” You’ll know if this approach is right for you. Sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn’t.

Happy Sunday, and I hope this little nugget helps you like it helped me. One of my goals this year is to be more tactful, more gracious…because everybody benefits from kindness and respect. I’m working on it…

Enjoy your weekend!

Love, Catherine x

PS.

• If you’re new, I wonder if you know (Ha!) that my two non-fiction books are my best-loved! I’m so thankful for so many 5-star reviews like Sarah’s: “This little book is full of wonderful ways to switch perspectives and consider things differently. It is hopeful and helpful. I have already shared it with friends!”

  UK – Small Steps Are Perfect and The 10 Minute Fix

  America – Small Steps Are Perfect and The 10 Minute Fix

  Canada – Small Steps Are Perfect and The 10 Minute Fix

  Australia – Small Steps Are Perfect and The 10 Minute Fix or shop local here.

• Faux white lilies above are from IKEA, and they look so realistic. (I know, fake flowers…but sometimes you just want to pull these out from a closet and have an instant room-brightener. People always think they’re real…)

• You guys! I truly love the initial necklace I told you about last week. It’s just from Amazon, but such a good reminder to believe in yourself. See how cute? You can find it here. The quality is amazing for faux-gold. Heavy and luxurious.