Keep a closed mouth
“Keep a closed mouth and open ears and eyes”
Napoleon Hills
I still don't know when I would finish his book titled “Think big and grow rich” but reading a few pages early in the morning has been something I have always loved doing and I keep learning. With a book that has 15 chapters I think, I am already reading the first page in chapter 8. I can't wait to finish the book as I have interesting stories to read that are on my list. Good morning everyone. I hope the day is bright already?
At the beginning of this month, I went to get some stuff at the local market very close to where I live and there is this good seller of mine that I have made a very good person. Her goods are cheap compared to others who just decide to add their price. I don't think they do consider those who can't afford it at all. They forgot that they will also buy stuff from people because it's impossible to be selling everything in this life.
When I got to her place and already got all my things. I was just murmuring to myself that with how this local market is, there shouldn't be anyone selling frozen foods like chicken, turkey etc because I prefer eating chicken or turkey instead of meat. She heard what I said and quickly dragged me inside and said I shouldn't say it out loud.
I was like “What's wrong?” because the way she dragged me, it was as if she had been expecting me to say something like that.
She went ahead to show me a big banner and explained how she has been planning to be selling frozen chicken and turkey since no one was selling them. I was happy because I don't have to go to the main market to get it when I could just walk a few minutes to the local market.
She has been planning this all this while and she didn't open her mouth to tell her other traders even when she has a friend she talked to there. According to her, if she says it out to someone, he or she might hijack her idea and start selling it. This means she had been a fool to open up her goals to someone. She wants to get it all done so that it will shock or surprise other people around her.
“Shock the world with your results, but don't tell them your process”.
–Princessbusayo
Everyone you interact or associate with is like you. Yes, every person is seeking an opportunity to accumulate and make money and if you talk about your plan freely or loosely, you may be surprised when you know that some other people have beaten you to your goals by taking immediate action ahead of you.
The plan you unwisely open up to someone will be hijacked from you and before you know it, you have lost since the other person has decided to walk on your ideas and goals.
Before now, I used to tell people what I would do, how I would do it and how I will end up not doing it. I realized that those who talk too much, do little or nothing.
People are waiting for an idea and when they stylishly ask you how you intend to do something. If you open up to them without you knowing, they are already learning and taking notes of how you intend to take action and it would be too late when you know they have gone ahead of you.
There was a movie I watched where this lady hinted to a friend at her place of work about how she would convince some clients to buy their products. The next day, the friend already got the idea and made it hers during the meeting in the organization and all praises were given to her. This was what made this lady leave the organization because they didn't believe it was her who brought the idea.
If you talk more than you listen, you are not only depriving yourself of many opportunities to accumulate and gather useful knowledge, but you also disclose your plans and goals to those who will take great delight in outsmarting you.
Some do not have any idea or goal and once you tell them your interesting and beautiful plans and once they see a great opportunity in it, they won't even let you know but would work behind you to actualize your idea and by then, you become a fool.
If you must tell the world what you intend to do, why not show it instead?
Even your trusted friend might betray you unexpectedly and this is why you should keep your mouth closed, open your ears and eyes to knowledge, acquire them and work behind the scenes. Do not disclose any of your plans to anyone except if you are working as a team where it is normal to share ideas and opinions since you all are working to make it work together.
If you must seek knowledge, seek it and take note of what you have learned to acquire the knowledge to work on your goals, but do not make the mistake of sharing your ideas with anyone so you don't get disappointed in the end.
If you talk too much, there is a probability you will expose everything about yourself, and we know there are people who would pretend as if they don't know what is going on, but within them, they are observing and taking note of your ideas to be used immediately by them.
By then, you will know people do not have anything to work on but are waiting for a little opportunity to get things done quickly. Your ideas would be meant for another person and he or she takes the honour.
Keep your plans to yourself and be mindful of who you talk to and how you talk so you don't unknowingly share your ideas with someone who can't wait to achieve them, making your sleepless moment of building the idea up futile.
Thanks for reading
Image by Rodnae on pexels
Agree, whatever plan, whatever move we do or a step we make we should keep it private.