How are you today?

Language is deceptively precise. It sneaks up on us. Think about the heading here: how are you today? We all know the answer is a variation on "fine" and describes the condition in which we find ourselves. But the question starts with "how."

How is a word we generally use to elicit a description of a behaviour. How do you get there from here? How do you grill steaks to perfection? How do you know?

So the question could be rephrased as: what behaviours do you need to do, what conditions do you require, in order to be the way you are being right now? How you are is something you do - not something that happens to you.

If how you are is something you do, you can change it. You are not stuck with the state you are in - you can move out of it.

If you really are fine, learn what you do so that you can be fine.

If you are not really fine today, learn what to change so that you can be something you like better.

How you are is something you do.

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