Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: TALKATIVE (09/08/16)
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TITLE: The Law of Opposites | Previous Challenge Entry
By Robert Rutaagi
09/12/16 -
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Life teems with experiences that vindicate King Solomon’s words of wisdom: “There is time for everything…” Ecclesiastes 3:1. There is time to be silent and there is time to be talkative.
There was a time, as I grew up, when I would simply listen to mom’s lullabies as I lay on her tender laps, joyously breast feeding from the delicious teats. I would gaze at her happy face as she, too, did at mine - both of us silently expressing our mutual love. Through that silent law, I gained both weight and height. Mom, too, through the same law, accumulated motherhood experience.
I was mom’s youngest and last child. Therefore my siblings outcompeted in everything. In order not to look too young and silly, I chose silence and solitary life. Whenever I tried to change my strategy, I would immediately fall in trouble with everyone either laughing at me, commanding me not to say wrong things or stopping me from falling into a ditch, fire or touching dangerous objects. All that tended to drive me into further silent and solitary modes.
Much later, teachers and older pupils seemed to ordain what the family had already decided for me.
Throughout my secondary school days, I became a good debater. Nothing of my past experience inhibited my debating skills. All I needed was a good topic and an audience. In fact what, instead, became my challenge, was time management. It did not matter how much I prepared myself, I found myself needing more time to cover the topic.
In one such a debate, the bell rang. The rule was that the debater had to wind up in one minute or one sentence. I chose the latter and decided to end with one long sentence connected by several “ands” which was permissible. I had enough time to exhaust all the relevant points. Not only did I win the debate, I became a school champion for many years.
Much later, as Chief Executive Officer, I gained new soft skills especially in communication, in general, and, listening, in particular. I saw and heard executives who, as chairmen/women of meetings, would enjoy dominating meetings, leaving very little chance for others to contribute. I learnt how to listen and guide more than dominating meetings.
I made it my duty to guide younger executives to contribute as much as possible but allowed others to participate. Sometimes, it became a big challenge to control some errant executives who were not ready to comply.
Enoch was one such a person. Whenever a meeting was going on, his attention tended to be divided between his listening and what he would eventually say. As chairman, I usually saw it coming. Instead of listening, he would plunge into thinking and making notes. And when he was ready, he would shoot up regardless of whether there was someone already making a presentation or before seeking permission from the chairman. If it was not me speaking, I would disallow him which, unfortunately, embarrassed him. But immediately after my remarks, I would courteously allow him to make his presentation. Unfortunately, because he was not listening, he would tend to delve into irrelevancies.
If it was the chairman interrupted, Enoch would be reluctantly tolerated but appropriately guided on relevancy and time management. Overtime, Enoch gradually improved.
Between my school debate and executive experiences, I was tantalized by my ‘closed door’ performance as opposed to ‘external’ performance in real life. The tendency was to be more of a listener than a speaker. Certainly, my childhood trainning or lack of it, haunted me.
I always thought that any unguided speaking was a kind of indiscipline. I found it a burden to speak without being asked to. Speaking, I believed, needed good preparation. I always wondered why much energy should be wasted on, especially, irrelevant speeches. I associated speaking with risks of making mistakes or sharing unwanted information. When I needed to apportion blame for this dilemma, there were only two suspects: my family and my teachers who never helped me.
My divine deliverance came when I received salvation, Holy Spirit baptism, the gift of speaking and praying in tongues. I forgave my parents [RIP], my siblings and my teachers. Now, I hungrily listen to every preacher of the gospel, the Holy Spirit, Lord Jesus and God’s voices. Whenever I am given opportunity to share my salvation testimony, no amount of time given to me, is sufficient. Only God’s grace is sufficient.
NON-FICTION
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I found one or two places where it seemed you had left an important word out. I could understand what you were wanting to say, though, most of the time.
The transitions from one thought or paragraph were just a little awkward. Work at how to move into the next thought. Some changes can be with time sequences: first, next, then or similar words.
Proof read again to see if each paragraph leads easily into the next thought without skipping any needed information.
It is very important to know when to talk and when to be still. Thank you for this topic.
God bless~