The whisper vs the shout

Photo by Kristina Flour on Unsplash

The way we hear something has a powerful effect on us. If the medium is the message, then the volume of that media has an important part to play in where it lands in our minds.

Has a friend ever leaned in and said “Come here, I need to tell you something” and whispered in your ear? Did you pay attention? I’m willing to bet you were all-in on those few words. In fact, you probably still remember those important shared moments. Its funny how sometimes the greater the impact we feel the message has to have, the quieter we get.

And think of the opposite. Shrieking sources of information, be they clickbait-laden websites or the words of a heavy-handed thought leader, confuses our minds for a moment. We might get sucked in by the empty calories of whats on offer but chances are, it’s all sound and fury, signifying nothing.

If the cannon deafens us, the bell makes us listen. As a coach I seek to find those things, those moments, where a whisper is to be heard. Be it a blindspot I see, or something that needs to be said that doesn’t have words yet, my goal is to give it the space to exist, the space to examine it and treat it with respect.

We all have access to our own volume dials. What will you do with yours?