Communicating with humans is a challenge.

My team works remotely and sometimes we don’t connect for days at a time. On Friday, I noticed one colleague I’ll call Cathi, a project manager, was offline, but I didn’t want to text her privately. I figured she’d decided to take the day off, either to just relax or perhaps to provide some extra emotional support to her mom who is first generation American from Ukraine and, not surprisingly, especially distressed these days.

This morning, Cathi wasn’t online again. And then, I and the other two members of my team got a meeting invitation from another manager with an agenda stating it was to introduce herself to us. Uh-oh. Turns out we had a new manager and Cathi had been let go with no notice; what a shock. We are all contractors with the same staffing agency and the new manager thought we’d been told—ha! Corporate America strikes again with lack of transparency and courtesy!

But it’s just not them. I was involved in another situation over the weekend where the other person refused to speak to me honorably.

Communicating with humans is such a challenge—it doesn’t seem to matter that we have additional devices and technology that didn’t exist a couple decades ago like email. cell phones, text messages, chats, social media, and anything else you can think of. It’s not like people have gotten any better with being respectful in sharing information or being honest nor have improved their skills to clearly convey what they mean and understand others.

There seems to be a lack of courage, honesty, courtesy, and authenticity in interacting with others. Relationships are the most important thing in life and are forged with clear communication. Without that, the chance of meaningful, trustworthy, and authentic relationships is unlikely. And, that serves no one well and bodes ill for the future of the planet.

I personally strive to stay in integrity and use language, be it the written word or verbally, to clearly communicate and be authentic with whomever I interact. And when I fall short, I make amends to remedy the situation and strengthen the relationship. I must say though, that as of late, I wonder if it’s worth it to put my whole, authentic self out there to try to build human relationships when so many people are sloppy in their communication skills and are not in integrity.

Thank heaven I can always be my whole, authentic self with Spirit. And, we can communicate through literature, prayer, meditation, song, and more. I know that Spirit is all-loving, all-peaceful, and wants only the best for me. There is no questioning of motives, there is no insincerity, no dishonesty. Spirit is Truth.