Talking for a Living is a Complex Skill

What is the most difficult thing about speaking? It’s the ability to recall meaningful words in a timely and confident manner—to select words from your vocabulary, from deep thoughts, words with weight that help people understand how you think and offer a perspective that may or may not resonate with them. That is the complexity of communication. Your brain is a great computer, full of experiences and a deep, untapped reservoir of powerful words and emotions. But how can we tap into this reservoir of words—words we might rarely use yet to articulate our ideas powerfully to others? I believe there are exercises that can train the brain to recall words more effectively. There is no replacement for reading and writing if you want to be a well-spoken person. With dedication, you can become one of the most interesting people in your circle, someone worth listening to, if you take the time to develop your ability to speak well. Articulating your ideas well is a complex skill, one that should be honed and crafted, not taken for granted. It’s about finding the right words at the right time to express the essence of the moment unfolding before you. Many people don’t take this skill seriously. Some simply open their mouths and say whatever comes to mind, and often, the result is confusing, off-target, or ineffective. But what we want is to hit the target with our words 10

0% of the time, avoiding the need to backtrack and explain ourselves. We should aim to articulate ideas with simplicity yet with elegance, poise, confidence, and intrigue, leaving others wanting to hear more. When we speak and engage others, activating their minds and stimulating thought, we create an exchange of energy. Our words can turn listeners on with excitement and invite them to think deeply. In doing so, we give them permission to express themselves at a high level. High-level conversation—the highest form of spiritual electricity—is truth. The question becomes: how elegantly, beautifully, and lovingly can you speak the truth to others?

Crossing The Bridge from Amateur to Professional

Here are some notes about your career path that I want you to consider. Think about the fire inside you for whatever it is you truly want to pursue and how that relates to the expression of your unique gift. You have to focus on something that genuinely excites you. What do you want to look back on when you reflect on your life? Can you see what is possible for your life, doing something you were born to do, whether or not you get paid for it? Monetizing your passion can be challenging, as there's often a "difficulty factor" attached to your gift. If this is what you truly want to do for life, you must accept that there will be challenges tied to achieving your ideal life. Anyone living life on their own terms has accepted this reality. I'll say it again: anyone living life on their terms has accepted this reality. You should adopt the mindset, "Either I live, or I die pursuing what my heart longs for." Set aside large, uninterrupted blocks of time to focus—one, two, sometimes even three hours of alone time per day. Your best ideas will come from being in a quiet, still place. When it comes to the rules of success, there are many. But if you think the law of discipline doesn't apply to you, you're setting yourself up for trouble. Stop putting things off; right now is all you have. The next moment, you could be gone. It’s arrogant to assume you’ll be alive tomorrow—you have no control over that reality. Adopt the mindset of *do it now, do it now, do it now. Don’t wait for tomorrow; you don’t know if you’ll have the chance. How you spend your time is incredibly important. Here’s a question to ponder: how can you reach a world-class, elite level in your field? Reflect on this. How can you become part of the top 1% of world-class performers in whatever field you choose to pursue? Here's something else to consider: stop trying to impress others. Don’t let other people’s opinions overshadow your own opinion of yourself. Care more about impressing yourself. If you aim to impress yourself, others will be impressed as well. Hard work—let’s talk about that. Hard work often intimidates average people. But here’s a critical mindset for success: how can anyone compete with me if I can force myself to do what I might not want to do right now, but I do it anyway? If I’m competing against people who lack the discipline to do what’s necessary, they’ll never keep up. This is crucial in your development as a professional. It’s the bridge between amateurism and professionalism.