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Main Topic
There is an old story about how a University professor came to China and was talking to a Zen Master about Zen. As they talked the Zen Master was serving tea. The master started pouring the tea till it was right up to the lip of the cup. Then he kept pouring until the saucer was full and finally the professor could hold his tongue anymore and blurted out its full you can’t get any more in! The Zen master replied, “This is you. How can I teach you Zen unless you empty your cup?”
No, this week’s post isn’t about being zen or anything like that. It is about what are you putting in your cup are you emptying your cup or are you keeping your cup full. Are you listening to what is being said or are you just holding on to your preconceived thoughts? Are you Emptying Your Cup? Are you getting rid of any preconceived notions that you have and looking at a problem or listening with a completely open mind? Are you learning and applying those lessons you learned?
You have 2 ears and one mouth
Listen twice as much as you speak. You can hear what people are saying even if they don't agree with you. You can at least understand why they think the way they think.
Empty Those Preconceived Notions
Ask questions for understanding. Yeah, you may have your facts together but are they in order? The Sun rises in the east and sets in the west but the sun doesn’t revolve around us. You may find out that you have some facts but there is a different way to look at those facts.
Apply what you have learned before you take on more
So many learn and learn and learn and never apply what they have learned. They are those people who have a hundred books about starting a business but never have applied that knowledge. The professional Convention attendee. These folks are always learning instead of applying the knowledge they learn.
Learning and knowledge do you no good till you apply that knowledge into a skill.