Possess A Second Soul

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200 words, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, English, family, Foreign language, French, German, growing up, multilingual, parents, Relationships, Stuff my parents used to say and do

To have another language is to possess a second soul.

Charlemagne

One of the things that I am most grateful for is that my parents taught my brother and I German.

We’re first generation Canadian. My parents immigrated to Canada in 1960. Three years later I was born and sixteen months after that my brother was born.

Mom and Dad spoke only German at home. We didn’t learn English until we went to school. I had a German accent up until about Grade Four. Mom recently apologized for only speaking German when we were little, but I’m so grateful to know the language.

As luck would have it, we lived in the Montreal area in Quebec, so Mike and I were also exposed to French. Before I came out west I could pretty much speak and understand French. I’ve since lost most of it, but when I visit Montreal, within days I understand what French-speaking people are saying. Mike is still perfectly fluent.

There is something really special about knowing more than one language. It opens up more of the world.

It does kind of feel like possessing another soul.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Do you know a second language?

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200 words, Act, clarity, communicate, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, Foreign language, leadership, message, motivate, passion, perception, words

If a leader can’t get a message across clearly and motivate others to act on it, then having a message doesn’t even matter. ~ Gilbert Amelio

I wiped the sweat away from my forehead with the back of my hand and pointed to the ocean.

He raised his eyebrows questioningly.

Caliente. Mucho.

Que?

Have you ever tried to get a point across in a foreign language?

What if I told you that it can be just as difficult when both parties speak the same language.

A few years back a colleague was becoming increasingly agitated that some staff still didn’t know the direction and vision of our organization.

“We have to tell them,” I offered.

“We have told them. We sent that email…brought it up at the all-staff meeting, they’re just not listening!”

Words are a tricky thing. Even one word alone can mean a host of things to a host of people. If people are percieving the message in a way we did not intend, is that really their fault?

Perception is reality

If people aren’t hearing what you’re saying – maybe it’s time to change the way you’re saying it.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~