January 09, 2026
Thought of the Day and Question of the Day: Self Awareness, Words, and Quiet Contradictions
A reflective Thought of the Day and Question of the Day about self awareness, habits, and the phrases we lean on when we are tired or avoiding something.
Focus Keyword(s): Thought of the Day, Question of the Day
Before I say anything else, I want two earlier reflections sitting in the room with us:
- It Starts Within: Finding Yourself Before the World Finds You
- Breath Easy: They Could Be Self Absorbed Jerks
Both circle the same uncomfortable truth. We notice things in other people long before we notice them in ourselves.
That is where today’s Thought of the Day and Question of the Day land.
Not with accusation.
Not with advice.
Just with a quiet mirror.
We spend a lot of energy telling people what they should do. We also spend a surprising amount of energy explaining ourselves. Sometimes those two things collide.
And when they do, people notice.
Thought of the Day
Don’t expect to tell others what they should do, when they know that you do what you shouldn’t. Musonius Rufus
This one stings a little if you let it.
Not because it is harsh.
Because it is accurate.
Most people are not listening to our words nearly as closely as they are watching our behavior. They notice the tone shift. The contradiction. The gap between what we say matters and what we actually make time for.
They see when we preach rest but never stop moving.
When we talk about boundaries but never enforce them.
When we warn people about burnout while quietly running ourselves into the ground.
And here is the part that feels unfair.
They rarely call us out on it.
They just file it away.
Musonius Rufus is not saying you can never offer guidance. He is saying credibility is fragile. It is built slowly and cracked quickly. And once someone notices that you are not living what you are recommending, your words lose weight even if they are technically correct.
This is not about perfection. No one expects that.
It is about alignment.
People forgive mistakes. They struggle with hypocrisy. Especially the unacknowledged kind.
Question of the Day
What’s your most overused phrase right now?
This sounds like a throwaway question until you try to answer it honestly.
It requires a level of self awareness that most of us do not have when we are tired, rushed, or overloaded. The phrases we repeat often act like verbal shortcuts. They buy us time. They soften edges. They help us move on without digging too deep.
For me, it took way too long to notice mine.
“At the end of the day.”
I say it when I am wrapping something up too quickly.
I say it when I am avoiding a harder sentence.
I say it when I am tired and just want the conversation to land somewhere.
It sounds reasonable. It sounds wise. It also sometimes means, “I do not have the energy to fully unpack this right now.”
Your phrase might be different.
“Honestly.”
“It is what it is.”
“No worries.”
“Just saying.”
None of these are bad. But overuse usually signals something. Fatigue. Frustration. Avoidance. Or a quiet attempt to keep things moving without fully engaging.
The interesting part is this. Other people hear your phrase. They associate it with moments when you disengage or redirect. They learn what it means from repetition, not explanation.
Which brings us back to the Thought of the Day.
People notice patterns. In behavior. In words. In habits.
The work is not to eliminate the phrase. The work is to notice when it shows up and ask why.
That small pause is often enough to realign what we say with what we actually mean.
If today’s Thought of the Day and Question of the Day stirred something, you can get these reflections delivered quietly each morning by joining the daily email.
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