I attended a party recently where one of the guests was intent on bragging about his latest exploits. I watched as he moved from group to group trying to get people to listen to his story. As soon as he started talking about himself, one by one, people in the group would excuse themselves and move on. He would then move on to another group only to have the same thing happen again. By the end of the evening, he was standing by himself. The life lesson here is a difficult one. While all of us want to tell our story, the painful truth is that no one wants to hear it. At the same time, those same people who don’t want to hear your story are dying to tell their story to someone who cares. So, if you want to be the life of the party, give up on the idea of trying to tell your story and give other people the opportunity to tell theirs. If you can discipline yourself to do this, you’ll quickly start to attract a crowd.
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Makes sense, however most of us go to parties to socialize and have fun. If you give up the opportunity to share your story, you may go home unfufilled. I guess the real lesson is to not overburden everyone with your story. More importantly, actively encourage others to share theirs.
Dear Tom,
Thanks for your comments. They’re all right on. I was referring to people that want to do all the talking, but aren’t willing to let others tell their story. Hope all is well. Thanks again.
Hey–you just get jealous of people like that ’cause they don’t let you talk! Only teasing, my friend. You do know how to brighten up a party.
Amelia,
It’s always great to hear from you. Are you still moving or staying put? Have a great weekend. Ross