Cutting…
You can cut something to separate. Shredding a piece of paper so that it is illegible. Cutting a piece of cake to share it with a friend.
You can cut something to shape it. A paper snowflake. A haircut.
You can cut something to wound. A knife wielded in defense or malice.
You can cut something to heal. A scalpel used in surgery.
You can cut something to save a memory. Cutting a photo or article out of the newspaper.
You can cut something to change a growth pattern. Pruning a bush. Cutting the grass.
You can cut something to reduce time or focus the message. Cutting a play.
You can cut something to remove it or you. Cut the power. Cutting class.
This list could go on and on. The action verb is a tool here. What matters most is both the intention and the impact (not always the same thing).
With each action, what is my intention? And, in hindsight (hopefully from a place of curiosity rather than defensiveness, but this can be hard!), did the impact match the original intention? If not, where did it change?
These are questions I ask myself time and time again. I find them to be valuable teachers.
Do you examine your own intention & impact? What do you find?
