Dear Destiny Friends,
Are you one of those that talks often, and hardly listens? Of a truth, you are doing yourself the greatest disservice. This is because one of the most powerful arsenals any articulate mind can use to disarm anyone is silence. It is also one of the most powerful forces on planet earth. If used very well, silence can be a game changer. It plays any role you want it to play for you; negative or positive. As a result, if you wish to be profoundly productive and be more calculating in your endeavours, you must imbibe the innovative power of silence.
As many that have understood the power of silence have used this resourceful element of time life for productive ventures. Some have made the best use of it in the early hours of the mornings, which is when they plan their day as it is the time they get the most and best of messages. They pray, meditate and exercise when most people are sleeping.
Did you know that destruction is loud, while creation is silent? That’s how powerful silence works, and if you consider great achievers on earth or anyone else who has been able to achieve true success, you will realise that when they were building their craft, they didn’t announce their project, neither did nobody hear about their work. The work announced itself when they finished it. That’s why it’s always good to work hard in silence and allow your success to make the noise.
Silence works in magical ways. From my personal experience, relating with great minds, I discovered that they have mastered the art of using silence to send their desired and intended messages. Sometimes, they respond, sometimes, they don’t. Either way, they are communicating.
Silence can however, be misunderstood. Did you know that someone can say yes to your request just to get you out of their line of concentration. You may be thinking you have won, but in reality, you have lost because either you weren’t patient enough or you were bothering them too much. This is mainly applicable when a mentee or stranger needs assistance from a mentor or benefactor.
That’s why I have always counseled my friends, mentees and anyone who cares to listen, whenever you don’t understand any statement, communication or question, get clarity as opposed to acting based on your understanding. If possible, remain silent when you can’t read in between the lines. You can also seek the counsel of an elder or someone you hold in high esteem to assist with advice. Trust me, there’s no harm in asking. When you ask, it puts you in a good light as opposed to keeping quiet and making mistakes due to your ignorance or assumption. I always counsel my friends, mentees and those who care to listen. In doubt, do not act.
Just like science, silence is an art. If you want to succeed in life, you must pay attention to little details, and this entails listening. Paying attention to details is a great trait of highly successful people. They know that a single step can make them derail, and a single step-action can be the turning point of their life. That’s why they don’t take anything for granted.
If you want to meet anyone, and you don’t have access to them, the first thing you should do is to study them very well from your corner. This entails studying their works, reading their books, listening to their tapes, watching their videos, reading their articles, observing their association and paying attention to the events they attend. All this might give you an idea of who they are. It is quite unfortunate many people don’t care to listen to understand, they are merely concerned about understanding or their own side of the story. They fail to realize that sometimes in life, wisdom entails that not all rights must be claimed. Sometimes, you play the fool to get what you want. This is because you can lose an argument to win a friend. Again, not all truth has to be spoken always even though it’s always good to say the truth. You must know the right time to speak by looking at the emotional intelligence of the person or recipients of the message. All these entail listening because you have read the body language of the people.
Let’s talk briefly about the importance of listening. The number one importance of silence is the fact that it gives you clarity in life. When your mind is clouded, it will be hard for you to reason well. Your mental, psychological, and emotional mindset will be affected, when this happens, your level of productivity will reduce. On a personal level, in recent times, I have begun to adopt the power of silence by listening more and speaking less; observing more and showing less, and applying the principle of the less is more.
Silence helps you to make better decisions. Silence makes you a better listener. Great leaders ensure that they listen to everyone before they speak, and by doing so, they make an informed decision. Do you know you have two ears and one tongue for a reason? Yes, because your two ears are to listen more, and the one tongue to speak less. Even the tongue is caged and barricaded with a lock which is your teeth and a giant gate which is your lips. Still the tongue finds its way to air its opinion, and that is when necessary.
Silence helps you to concentrate well by paying attention, especially when you are in a noisy environment. Silence helps the mind to be creative, it gives better memory and ultimately relieves stress.
In conclusion, before you speak, listen to yourself, before you write, read it out, before you make a choice, meditate on it and most importantly, before you take any major decision, pray, and consult resourceful minds. In all these, you’ll experience the positive effect of silence.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s a Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate and creative writer. He’s the author of the acclaimed book Design Your Destiny – Actualizing Your Birthright to Success. He can be reached info@gloemi.com
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