Why aren't we all like that wise old bird?

Here’s this poem that speaks to me:

A wise old owl sat in an oak

The more he heard, the less he spoke

The less he spoke, the more he heard

Why aren't we all like that wise old bird?

But then I have a hard time fully believing it.

You know, living it.

It’s time for a heart-to-heart.

You see, most of the time I’m not a big talker. No, I’m a thinker and I watch other people talk. Sometimes I listen, and sometimes I hear words but my mind is drifting in a galaxy far, far away. Rarely, I’m at the center of the conversation.

But then again I want to say things.

Be like the rest of them.

Tell a story that captures the table. Tell a joke that cracks people up. Say that smart thing at work that makes everyone go “oooh, yes!”

So even though I don’t speak, I get stuck thinking about what to say.

I don’t fully listen, because I think about what to say.

But I don’t speak, because… well, that’s not me.

The more he heard, the less he spoke

The less he spoke, the more he heard

But from time and time again, I get inspired to be like the owl.

To fully listen.

And today, the stars are aligning.

You see, within a few weeks I caught a few hints. 3 to be precise. Let’s take them one at a time.

The 1st one is from Tyler Durden (Fight Club):

“When people think you're dying, they really, really listen to you, instead of just waiting for their turn to speak.”

Damn…

The 2nd one is from the movie Almost Famous. Guitarist Russell Hammond talking to 16-year old, aspiring journalist, William Miller:

“They say you're dangerous. You see everything. Most people... are just waitin' to talk, but you listen.”

And the last one (which is a new favorite), is from John D. Rockefeller.

He has just broken up a business partnership to do his own thing.

Talking about his previous partners:

“Then they woke up and saw for the first time that my mind had not been idle while they were talking big and loud.”

My mind had not been idle while they were talking.

Let that sink in.

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