When to shut the hell up!

😂 A Public Service Announcement: The Art of Knowing When to Zip It 😂

Hello, beautiful Souls ! Today’s lesson is a truly crucial one, and I’m sharing it from a place of deep, personal experience—and probably a few mortifying memories.

We’re discussing the sublime, beautiful, and often elusive moment when you realize it's truly time to SHUT. THE. HELL. UP.

That natural impulse we all feel is to keep talking, to fill the silence, or to offer one more brilliant insightful comment, but sometimes, your brain simply needs to hit the emergency eject button.

The signs that the "Silence Protocol" should be activated immediately are often glaringly obvious, if you bother to look. For example, if you've already used the phrase "long story short," but the narrative you are currently spinning is now significantly longer than the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, you need to stop.

No, seriously, even Gandalf is giving you the side-eye. Another tell-tale sign is when you find yourself passionately explaining something to an actual, credentialed expert in that exact field; unless you are also the inventor of that field, congratulations, you have just unlocked maximum cringe!

Furthermore, if you notice everyone in the room has subtly started staring at their shoes, they are not admiring the craftsmanship; they are actually praying for the ground to swallow you whole.

You also know you've gone too far if you've repeated the same point three different ways and are now using bizarre hand gestures that make you look like a bewildered traffic cop, or if you hear your own voice and think, Mostly my Jewish heritage to wave my hands to emphasise my passion!

"Wait, is this person okay?" (The answer, of course, is no. This person needs water and quiet.)

Please, embrace the silence! It's not empty; it’s actually full of dignity you haven't ruined yet. Knowing when to stop talking is a legitimate superpower, so use it wisely.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I’ve clearly said far too much already. 🏃💨I am continuing to work very hard to say less! So much to say …so little time ! Haha 🤣 The art of listening is a valuable skill.