Your Ability to Listen And Learn From Others Depends on This Crucial Quality
I didn’t listen to a billionaire CEO who sat in front of me
Most people say that hearing isn’t the same as listening.
It’s true. Hearing is when the information goes into your ears and seeps out two seconds later. Listening is about retaining the information and applying it to your life.
But there’s one crucial caveat that people always forget.
Your ability to listen to others depends on how much someone inspires you.
Let me explain.
I asked a question to the CEO of JPMorgan Chase.
If you don’t know, JPMorgan Chase is a billion-dollar corporation in America. Heck, the CEO once had dinner with Obama on a private plane. He came to my college campus for an event a couple of years ago.
He gave a tremendous amount of money to my scholarship program. Everyone in that program was required to go to show our appreciation.
He took questions from people during the last few minutes.
A billionaire was sitting in front of me, so I jumped first in line to ask him a question.
Do you want to know what my question was?
Do you really want to know?
Well, you never will because I don’t remember shit.
I completely forgot the question I asked. I damn sure don’t remember his answer.
Why don’t I remember that situation?
Because I didn’t give a crap about the CEO. Yes, you heard me. I thought I’d cling on to his every word since he had the money and accolades to prove it.
But still…nothing.
A couple of years later, I took a writing course, watched tons of interviews, and asked questions online to one of my favorite writers.
He inspired me to get my writing habit going in the first place.
I love to write. However, he makes less money than the CEO of fucking JPMorgan Chase, yet I still clung to his every word like the Bible.
He’s a blip compared to that CEO yet I can recite all of his answers to my questions because that’s how much I care about being a better writer.
I’m passionate about my craft so I’m more likely to listen to people within that space.
Main Takeaway
You can’t let money and prestige define who you listen to and who you learn from.
We all know that your circle brings wealth, but so are meaningful relationships. I’d rather learn from someone with less money but is the best in my field than someone who’s a billionaire that runs a financial service company.
Develop relationships with people you’ll listen to — and these should be the people that inspire you the most.
Once you have that missing piece, you’re set for life.
Get my free writing guide that can teach you how to build a writing habit in 90 days or less here.