You Never Really Learn Much From Hearing Yourself Speak

Have you ever met someone who loves to talk? Someone who always has something to say, something to share, something to teach? Someone who never stops talking, never listens, never learns?

I have. His name is Mark.

Mark is my colleague at work. He is a senior manager in our department. He has been working in the company for over 10 years. He knows everything about the business, the industry, the market, the customers, the competitors, the trends, the challenges, the opportunities.

He knows everything. And he loves to tell everyone.

Mark is always talking. He talks in meetings, he talks in emails, he talks in phone calls, he talks in chats, he talks in presentations, he talks in reports. He talks to his boss, he talks to his peers, he talks to his subordinates, he talks to his clients, he talks to his suppliers, he talks to his partners.

He talks to everyone. And he never listens.

Mark never listens to what others have to say. He never asks questions, he never seeks feedback, he never invites opinions, he never welcomes suggestions, and he never considers alternatives. He never acknowledges mistakes, he never admits weaknesses, he never recognizes gaps, he never learns from failures.

He never learns. And he never improves.

Mark never improves his skills, his knowledge, his performance, and his results. He never improves his relationships, his communication, his collaboration, his influence. He never improves his attitude, his behavior, his habits, and his mindset.

He never improves. And he never grows.

Mark never grows as a professional, as a leader, as a person. He never grows his potential, his impact, his value. He never grows his vision, his purpose, his passion.

He never grows. And he never changes.

Mark is always the same. He is always stuck in his comfort zone, in his routine, in his status quo. He is always resistant to change, to innovation, to transformation. He is always complacent, arrogant, ignorant.

He is always talking. And he never really learns much from hearing himself speak.

But I do.

I learn from Mark what not to do. I learn from Mark how not to be. I learn from Mark how not to live.

I learn from Mark that talking is not enough. That talking is not learning. That talking is not growing.

I learn from Mark that listening is more important than talking. That listening is more powerful than talking. That listening is more rewarding than talking.

I learn from Mark that listening is the key to learning. That listening is the key to improving. Listening is the key to growing.

I learn from Mark that listening is the key to living.

So I listen.

I listen to what others have to say. I listen with curiosity, openness, respect. I listen with empathy, compassion, understanding. I listen with humility, gratitude, appreciation.

I listen with my ears, my eyes, my heart. I listen with my mind, my soul, my spirit.

I listen and I learn. I learn new things, new perspectives, new insights. I learn new skills, new knowledge, new wisdom. I learn new ways, new possibilities, new opportunities.

I learn and I improve. I improve my skills, my knowledge, my performance, my results. I improve my relationships, my communication, my collaboration, my influence. I improve my attitude, my behavior, my habits, my mindset.

I improve and I grow. I grow as a professional, as a leader, as a person. I grow my potential, my impact, my value. I grow my vision, my purpose, my passion.

I grow and I change. I change for the better. I change for the greater. I change for the higher.

I change and I live. I live fully. I live well. I live alive.

And I talk less.

But when I do talk,

I talk with purpose. I talk with clarity. I talk with confidence.

And I talk with value.

Because I have something to say. Something to share. Something to teach.

Something that I have learned. Something that I have improved. Something that I have grown.

Something that I have lived.

I hope this blog post was helpful and inspiring for you. Thank you for reading! 😊