Stop Talking Too Much

Let your result do the talking instead

An anonymous person once said,

Result is the best answer for insult.

That's true.

Here's my own refined version of the saying:

An excellent result is the best response to nonsense.

It's not more than that.

In this article, I'll be explaining how talking too much can ruin you and why having excellent results should be your priority.

Let me start on this note:

Ever since childhood, decorum has been a culture that has always been taught and emphasised.

We were told it's an insult for two people to be talking simultaneously.

One must speak while the other hears.

They can, however, switch positions to hear each other out.

That’s what keeps the conversation flowing.

The most profound part of communication we were taught is this:

When an elderly person is speaking, you don't look at them in the face.

You don't raise your voice at them.

And you don't speak if they don't give you the audience to.

Another quite interesting scenario of silence and decorum is in the classroom.

It's the belief that the class that maintains absolute decorum and sincere silence while the teacher teaches them is the best class.

The students will enjoy the class as well as the teacher.

That is the power of decorum.

Silence evokes orderliness. Decorum brings organisation.

In the absence of orderliness and organisation, no class can stand.

There will be total confusion and disarray in the class.

To sum it all up, learning can only be effective when it's done in silence.

The last illustration is this:

You don't hear any noise in the examination hall.

Whoever dares the examiner will be kicked out of the hall.

They could take the exams at other times when their insanity finally leaves them.

How about after the result is out?

They can shout and jubilate to the uttermost part of the earth—if they have good results, though.

This implies that every task that will be fruitful must be done in silence.

Let me share some of the things you have been doing wrong that have been ruining your life.

#1: You complain all the time

Let me tell you:

Everybody is under duress.

The difference is that some are experiencing theirs inside the duplex, while others are inside the mud house.

So, stop complaining about your pain.

Complaining is a selfish act.

You are so focused on yourself that you want everybody to give you listening ears. You fill those ears with complaints.

• I don’t have money.
• My kid is brilliant, but I can't sponsor them.
• I used to have a good business, but not anymore.
My husband has lost his job.
• I can’t afford A; I can’t buy B; I’m out of cash to purchase C.

One question for you:

Who carries the burdens of the people you are relating to?

See, in one way or another, everybody is just managing their situation.

You must have heard before that the rich also cry.

You may not want to believe it.

Maybe you think a cry inside a luxurious Jeep is not as cheap as one inside a cheap house.

Haha! Sick joke.

What I want you to understand is that nobody is interested in your story until you have been able to make yourself a trademark of success.

Stop talking to people about your ordeals; some will have pity on you, but most don't care.

The pity itself is very pitiable—an unsubstantial pity.

#2: You’re loud about your little wins

There is a saying in the Yoruba culture.

It is: If you haven't taken hold of the sword, don’t investigate your father’s death. If you do, you can end up like him.

What does that mean?

It simply means that if you have not gained ground, don't jubilate like a winner.

The richest man in Africa can go about announcing his next business move, but you shouldn’t.

It's because you could have potential idea thieves around you awaiting your announcement so they can ruin you.

The summary of the saying is that if you have not been equipped enough to go for a greater battle, don't share the story of your recent and not-so-substantial exploits.

Many people are currently in Catch-22 because of what I'll call “Mouth Misuse.”

They share everything good going on in their lives with people—good and bad alike.

They don't know some people can't find it easy on themselves to celebrate the wins of other people.

Just keep your mouth shut if you haven't gained momentum.

The little you are celebrating is not to the delight of so many people.

Those people can corner you and send you back to your status quo.

It's just a cruel life.

But if you maintain your silence, I want to believe nothing will happen to you.

You can't be suspicious of something you have no foreknowledge of.

#3: You throw shades at others with your achievement

As a mother whose son recently graduated with distinction from the medical school, there is all possibility that you will want to show off and probably shade that next-door neighbour who insulted you—whose son is not doing well in life.

Yeah! You will feel wowed.

You will be in high spirits, always in the mood of celebration and disseminating.

But do you know you can ruin that beautiful achievement by sharing it with less fortunate people, e.g., that next-door neighbour, especially if your intention is to shame them?

Throwing shade at people with your achievements can land you in trouble.

Let me explain the above to you using a biblical story.

There is a guy named Joseph in the Bible.

This guy is beloved by his father.

The father loved this guy so much that he bought him a coat in many colours.

At the time, Joseph was the second-to-lastborn, and so he was enjoying the old-age benefits from his father.

I suppose Joseph was one proud guy—let's say naïve—because of his age.

Bro. Joseph will don colourful attire (a coat of many colours) to diss his brothers.

Worse yet, he'll always present bad reports about his brothers to his father.

Obviously, Joseph (unknowingly) has started digging his grave.

His brothers would soon learn how Joseph portrays his father.

On a fateful day, his brothers connived among themselves, initially wanting to kill him, but they later sold him into slavery.

They sold him for 30 pieces of silver.

If not for God's intervention, that is how Joseph would have died.

Now if Joseph had died, the question would be: Who Killed Him?

• His father?
• His brothers?
• Or himself?

I'll say his father.

The man couldn't contain his delight in Joseph.

He could not control the excessive show of his love for Joseph.

And that led Joseph into trouble with his brothers—blood brothers.

Parents, please don't show off any of your children's achievements to your other children or to the public.

I know you are proud of them.

But the undertone most of the time is to shame others by using your children's achievements as a metric for other people to behold.

In conclusion, dissing is hateful and vengeful.

Talk is cheap.

The result is expensive, though it's not impossible.

Keep your mouth shut, and you'll keep your life safe.

Let it be open, and things will go south for you.

Sorry if that's harsh.

Let getting excellent results be your priority.

You have nothing to discuss with anyone.

Your results will do the talking later.

On a final note, perhaps you have been able to control your mouth, yet the result is not forthcoming. I encourage you to keep working.

Keep working.

And keep trusting God (importantly).

Things will surely work in your favour.

That's it for this article.

See you in the next one.

All the best,

Oluwaseyi.

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