“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is
also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill
It has been awhile since I have done a quote post so I
thought today was as good as any day. I think quotes are a great way to help
motivate yourself and keep you on track. Print it off. Put it in a place you
will see it everyday. Make it the background on your phone.
I came across this quote by Winston Churchill and it really
made me stop and think. We hear a lot about how many people have a lot of fear
and anxiety when it comes to public speaking. Public speaking is not something
that is natural; there is nothing wrong with a little anxiety when you are
speaking in front of people. It takes a great deal of courage to get up in
front of people. Put yourself out there like that is extremely scary.
What I found really interesting is the second part of this
quote, having the courage to sit down and listen. At first I did not really
understand what this meant. I started thinking about what this statement means.
Anybody can “listen” but are they truly listening? Most of us “listen” but
cannot tell you what someone was saying afterwards. Having the courage to sit
down and actually listen is being humble enough to understand you do not know everything.
We all have something to learn from others and by having the courage to sit down
and really listen you are showing that you are opening yourself to learning.
What comes to mind when you first read this quote? What do
you think is more import: standing up and speaking or sitting down and
listening? Which do you think is more difficult?
Post a Comment