FINE.

Fine. Four letters. One raised eyebrow of a word. It answers the question without answering it, closes the conversation before it starts, and — crucially — keeps everyone comfortable. Especially you.

I used it for years. Fine at work. Fine at home. Fine when people asked how I was — which, if we're honest, most people do while already walking away.

Fine is not a feeling.

It's a decision. A decision that today is not the day you open the box. And look — sometimes that's wisdom. Not every day is a box-opening day. But when 'fine' stops being a word you choose and starts being the only word you have, something worth noticing is happening.

The women I work with are rarely falling apart. That's the point. They're functioning. Delivering. Remembering everyone's birthdays. And quietly, underneath all that competence, they've stopped being able to answer a very simple question: how are you, really?

So here's a small, unrevolutionary suggestion. The next time someone asks — and you like them even a little bit — try a different word. Tired. Flat. Brilliant. Restless. It doesn't have to be a confession. It just has to be true.

You might be surprised by what follows.