Two geese offered to carry their friend the tortoise to a new lake. They held a stick in their beaks for him to grip and warned him: whatever happens, do not open your mouth. Villagers below marvelled at the sight. The tortoise, unable to resist claiming credit, opened his mouth to shout — and fell to his death.
The discipline to not speak is often more valuable than the ability to speak brilliantly. A single moment of needing credit can undo an entire flight. The tortoise's tragedy was not ignorance but vanity at the wrong altitude.
Where is the urge to be seen or acknowledged right now putting something you've carefully built at risk?
Turn one idea into a daily practice. Life OS is a free, private two-minute check-in across the five pillars of a full life — with a Sunday review and a banyan that grows with you.
Practise this daily →