Use Speakers, Not Headphones

iPods (Photo credit: aeroppon)

I love my iPod.

I enjoy listening to great musicians and have a wide range of musical genres on my playlist.

I often work with my headphones on, creating content while I have great artists in my head.  I find it mentally stimulating, not distracting.

I use headphones, because I suspect that not everyone around me shares my taste in music.  Everyone has their own favourite artists and styles and I don’t want to distract or annoy people with my preferences.  I’m also conscious that perhaps my music isn’t considered “cool” by others, so I don’t want to embarrass myself.

That’s OK when it comes to music, but when I think about the ideas that I have, I need to make sure that I use speakers, not headphones.

If I have an inspirational thought, an innovative solution or a way to make someone’s job easier, I need to get that out of my head and allow others to potentially benefit from it.

I need to get past my awareness that everyone has different perspectives, as I believe that I still have something helpful to offer.

I need to get past the potential embarrassment that on occasions people will disagree with me or find my ideas uncool.

I need to remember that whilst not everything I have to offer is going to be beneficial, the only way that I’ll find out sometimes is if I impart what I’m thinking.

If I am to maximise my contribution to those around me, I need to share what I have to offer, not keep it to myself and I suspect that I’m not the only one.

Everyone has something to contribute.

Your ideas, stories and perspectives are valuable and we need to hear them.

This doesn’t mean telling everyone what we think all of the time and becoming belligerent know-it-alls.

It means finding a way to skillfully, sensitively, and confidently making a contribution to the world around us.

It means using speakers, not headphones.

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