The Tribune

I may be wrong, but I truly believe that there is a fundamental reason why the creator made human beings with two hands and one mouth. This is a clue that we ought to talk less and act more by building, planting, creating and producing.

Even so, many give in to the habit of action-less talk as their daily pastime. However, to move your life forward you must take focused action.

Of course useful dialogues that support your goals or expand your awareness are important; however, such talk should move towards a set desired outcome. If you look through the pages of history there are endless stories about courageous action that made life work. Although they endured enormous struggle and unimaginable difficulties, they faced their fears and took progressive action.

Here’s the point, talking all day about what is wrong in your life or in the world will not produce any significant change. Instead, you will find the more you talk about the problem, the bigger or more persistent the problem becomes.

This is why at some point, there is a need to elevate from the propensity to just talk about it and begin to act. In so doing you strengthen your capacity to manage life challenges. Nothing will happen until you act – you must do something. More than this, taking action also allows you to build your life, one brick at a time.

What I also find interesting is even when people talk about knowing what to do; they still often lack the confidence to actually do it. It is at this intersection that many find themselves stuck without the motivation to apply their knowledge.

They have the knowledge, but remain powerless to act on it. This why I say that knowledge alone is not power; power comes from the ability to apply what you know.

The question of the day is – in your desire to improve your life, are you a talker or a doer? Talkers do just that – they talk; mostly about the problems. They offer no real solutions or plan of action. Year after year – they reiterate the same ole same ole and their lives essentially remain the same. Rest assured that your life improves only when you improve the contents of your mind.

Ultimately, living is about doing. To live your best life, requires a new habit of giving your attention to finding solutions rather than just magnifying the problems.

Henry Longfellow in his poem “A Psalm of Life” reminds us that life is not an empty dream; we must act in the living present because things are not what they seem.

Without a deeper sense of awareness of how to maximize their potential, people will invariably remain trapped in the past or fearful about the future. It is this stagnant thinking that leads many to skim the surface of life; always talking about it, but never really being about it.

Remember that words have incredible power. They are the architect with which we build our lives. Life improvement will not come from a daily diet of uninspiring language and coarse commentary about life problems. Indeed, a better life requires the planting of a better seed.

You must pay attention to not only the quantity of your daily talk but more so the quality of its content. Improved outcome requires quality information followed by focused action.

Make today the day that you take the lead in your own life. Talk less and act more. As you act – you will begin to feel more secure about your own capacity to overcome challenges and directly improve your life.

Is this not the perfect time for you to shift your life paradigm?

Michelle M. Miller is a certified Life-Coach, Leadership Expert and Author of Take The Lead. She is the CEO of TTL Coaching Strategies and founder of the Girls Leadership Coaching Club. Questions or comments can be sent to coaching242@yahoo.com or 429-6770.