Our daughter’s two (technically 28 months now).
And she’s taught me something about life.
I didn’t think this would happen for maybe another 15 years.
Doesn’t happen till they get some life experience or something, doesn’t it?
(This isn’t even the first lesson, either…)

It happened, and keeps happening, out of the blue: my wife and I will be talking about something that clearly she doesn’t understand, like what’s for dinner or songs we like or what’s on TV tonight.

And the girl will enthusiastically interject: “Me too!”

As with all pieces of in-person communication, the how of expression, presentation & visual is just as important as the message (most experts say it’s even more important, upwards of 70% of the message delivered).
And the illustrated lesson here is more about the delivery than the words.
Because she is so excited when she says this.
She has to stop whatever she’s doing.
And she says it really loud every time.
Just off the charts.

A simple lesson, as many of life’s best lessons are, to:

1. Find common ground
2. Remain as passionate and present to that common-ground-ness or me-too-ness as possible to know it’s worth celebrating

Applying Me-Too-ness

It’s likely among the simplest of Venn Diagrams, as illustrated with in my elaborate hand-drawn infographics in this post: where do You and Me cross over?

What do we both know to be true?
More to the point, what do we feel together to be true?

In my professional life as a Copywriter, I’m shocked how often I constantly still need to actively refocus on the Target Audience, and ensure the work lives in that sweet crossover between my Clients Services and the Target Markets they serve. I’m in that process now for my own business, noodling some of my own branding and actively fighting that natural tendency for Brand to be more about Me than it needs to be.

In theory, this exercise could yield some interesting and potentially life-changing perspective. Imagine just spending some intentional time and energy in (re)discovering your common ground with:

• your spouse or partner

• your kids

• your parents

• the people you work with, or for, or who work for you

• your worst enemy even?…

I’d be interested in hearing if you try this. And how it goes for you.

One common ground: just about anyone you’re thinking of was likely, at one point, a two-and-a-quarter-year-old. We can only hope they were as charming, enlightened and enlightening as our daughter.

What unites us is infinitely greater than what divides us.
Father Raniero_Cantalamessa, priest to the Papal household

(interesting side-note: our daughter’s Auntie just bought a pair of MeToo brand shoes.
And of course, the little girl loves them. As do my wife and I.)

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Lam Tang, Principal, ThatGuyWriting Brand Consultancy