When a Pinch is Not a Pinch!

PInch of Salt

I was sharing a 4^th of July summer salad recipe with a friend on Facebook and referred to a measurement as “a pinch” ,for one of the ingredients. Which brought up the question, “what exactly is a pinch”. Well I know what a pinch is to me, but I wanted to see what a pinch meant to other people. So I started asking that question to others.

“What’s a pinch?”

From such a seemingly easy question came a variety of answers. For some, it’s the amount a person can hold between their thumb, forefinger and middle finger, or for others, it’s the amount a person can quickly scoop with a thumb and forefinger or for one person, they mixed up the term pinch, and thought we meant a dash (we’ll leave that for another conversation ).

As confusing as this quest to discover what this measurement means, this illustrates what we do to each other all the time! We’re constantly sending out messages to each other and thinking that we “get” what you are saying to us! We’re a delusional society, running around shouting stuff that no one understands.!

Well maybe that’s a bit of exaggeration, but you see my point. We, well I mean I, assume I know what is being said, but I am always, always listening with my unique set of filters. And you will listen through your unique set of filters and the only way we can get a clearer view of what is really being communicated is through doing three simple things:

1. Being in a constant state of of awareness in both our speaking and especially in our listening. Get that we don’t get it!

2. Ask clarifying questions that allow you to get it (what exactly do you mean by a pinch?)

3. Listen from a place of “nothingness”. Leave the visor that we all wear, called filters, off and listen like it’s the first time we’ve ever heard this person speak. It’s magical what you’ll experience. It’s like pulling out a fresh sheet of blank white paper and allowing an artistic vision to transform that paper into a work of art.

So while we’re on the subject of a pinch, my meaning of this measurement is as follows, the amount that you can hold comfortably between your forefinger and thumb. Oh, and that’s not to be confused with a “smidgen” .

Can you think of times in your relationships, with people in you life, your sweetheart, your boss, your clients, that something was said that meant something else and how it affected that conversation?