I don’t normally gossip but listen to this.


The first five words of that sentence serve as a flashing red warning sign:

“I don’t normally ______ but….”

Anything that comes after this opener will be destructive, mean, or inappropriate.

“I don’t normally share confidential information, but.…”
“I don’t normally say things like this, but.…”

When someone uses this justification language, you can make a safe bet that they do, in fact, actively engage in what they say they “don’t normally” do.

At Undivided Life, we are working on a new practice. Join us if you’d like.

When we hear someone begin to say, “I don’t normally ____ but…”,
our goal is to immediately interrupt and say, “Then don’t.”

If you don’t normally, then don’t now.

It’s not too late to stop doing what you “don’t normally” do.