How (Not) to Make Noise and Get Results
Sometimes the quiet people have the bigger voices
The scene is LAX airport. Our family had visited southern California for a family event. We had a great time, but now we were tired, waiting for our flight home.
A busy airport terminal is an attack on the senses. Impatient people crowded in seats clutching their carry-on. Exhausted parents trying to keep their small children calm. Constant TSA announcements over the public address system. And the smells . . . we won’t go there.
Two people sitting directly to my left were holding a conversation — loudly. Neither appeared to be hard of hearing, but they seemed to think the entire Los Angeles Metropolitan area needed to hear what they had to say. My eardrums were very relieved when they finally got up and walked away. Then, an older couple who appeared to be in their 70's took their place in those seats. The woman sat right next to me, her boarding pass grasped tightly in her hand.
Closing my eyes, trying to block out the clatter of the terminal, I suddenly heard soft music in my left ear. It was the woman humming, probably trying to relax herself amid the noise. I could not identify the tune. But that quiet, gentle hum grabbed my attention and drew me in. For a few brief moments, it was a welcome relief from the clamor surrounding us. I leaned slightly to my left, trying to soak in the soothing melody without invading her personal space. Then, her flight to Phoenix was announced, snapping us both back to reality.
That is the world we live in — Too many people making unnecessary noise, begging for our attention. A barrage of e-mails getting dumped into our inboxes, each sender wanting us to believe their message is the most urgent. Attending meetings or events where some people, under the pretense of collaboration, try to over-talk each other to make their point in an attempt to prove their worth.
A life lesson I am still learning is that it is more often the quieter voices that pack a bigger punch. It may be the friend who doesn’t speak up much, but probably has been listening and observing very well. It may be the introverted co-worker others tend to ignore that just needs an empathetic ear and more time to absorb information. Or, it may just be your own subconscious voice telling you to ignore everyone’s chatter and just follow your gut.
Noisy people can both attract us and distract us at the same time. I have also learned that those people tend to talk a lot but often do not have much to say.
The most interesting people do not deliberately draw attention to themselves. They just live their lives in a way that allows them to quietly experience things and observe the world around them.
We are surrounded by people like the woman at the airport who can hum a beautiful tune in our ear, but we usually don’t take the time to listen for it. There are so many people with so many good stories to tell that do not get the chance to tell them. It is up to each of us to keep a watchful eye for those people, and then grab the chance when it occurs. They are the ones who can enrich our lives for the better.
Whoever coined the phrase “Still waters run deep” knew what they were talking about.
