All of us have depth; we just don’t know it.

What is depth? – that which goes past superficial and rote.

We’ve all heard the expression “Depth of Character” and on some level we appreciate what that means even if we cannot articulate it. The experience is much like describing beauty; we make an effort but our representation (description, picture, painting, etc.) falls short of the beauty itself.

Depth is deeper than we normally go. It’s really my concept of THE GRASSHOPPER – the part of us that lets the truth slip out from time to time. Not the relative truth but the truth that can only come from the one source of everything. Depth is tapping into that source.

You were born with depth and it remains with you your entire life, but for many of us depth remains like continually lost keys. We know they’re somewhere; we just can’t find them.

Many years ago I had the good fortune to come under the tutelage of a savvy broadcast veteran named Paul Hennings in Norfolk, VA. Paul taught us the magic of the – pause. He said that just about everyone could speak the words, but few knew how to pause to let the message have more impact.

The pause is the pathway to depth. The pause allows us to wait for an appropriate response – one that’s deeper than rote.

Most of our interactions with others are on automatic pilot. The conversation takes on a bland life of its own, until we pause and allow depth to show up.

You owe people the benefit of your depth and vice-versa.

Please don’t confuse this with talking about “deep” topics. That’s often superficiality of the highest order. No, depth is a naturalness that trumps all the surface noise that comes before it.

Depth is not cagey, clever or glib. It comes out much softer and packs the wallop of a sledge hammer in its ability to capture your attention.

The pathway to depth is punctuated with pauses. Learn how to wait for the magic of your depth. You won’t win the instant answer contest or get the blue ribbon for blather, but if you pause . . . you’ll have access to the calm and still that bypasses will. It’s called depth.

All the best,

John