Corporate asked us to “Reflect,” meaning: look inward, jot down your thoughts, maybe grow a little.
My team heard: submit a wish list to the universe.
The minute you hand people a blank card and permission to be honest, you’re not going to get serenity. You’re going to get desire.
And when I offered gentle pushback, they didn’t backpedal. They didn’t dilute it into corporate-speak. They doubled down.
I respect that.
Because too frequently people learn to soften their truth until it’s harmless. They learn to ask for less. They learn to pre-apologize. They learn to make their needs “reasonable” so no one gets uncomfortable.
So when someone looks you in the eye and says, essentially, “No. This is what I mean,” that’s not chaos. That’s clarity.
Is it actionable? No.
Is it budget-friendly? Also no.
Is it revealing? Completely.
Sometimes “internal thoughts” are: I want joy. I want relief. I want fun.
And sometimes, they really want a waterpark.