The Stimulator
Let’s not kid ourselves; Arabs are talkers. They love talking potentially more than they love doing anything else. It is a habit us in the GCC in particular, have mastered. The great thing about being able to converse about absolutely anything all day, everyday, is being able to appreciate a good conversation when you have it.
A few weeks ago I was introduced to an entrepreneur whom I found to be very unique in character. We instantly clicked, and ended up conversing with for a stimulating five hours or so the first time we met.
Never underestimate the impact of a truly good conversation – it has the ability to do weird and wonderful things to you. Some of the immediate symptoms might include: an unhinging attentiveness and alertness of all your senses, eyes wide open the more you information you absorb, asking an endless list of questions, and losing all sense of time. It is one of the greatest sensations – your brain is being stimulated and your mind is being fed, due to the fact that some sort of value is being added to your life through the transmission of good relatable information.
It made me realize that the more good conversation I had, the less interested I was in standard and mundane everyday chatter. The more I stimulated my mind with quality dialogue the less able (and willing) I became to engage in my usual daily meaningless conversation.
Mental stimulation becomes addicting, and you soon find yourself passing on certain get-togethers for fear that there might be no value in the conversation.
I decided to identify and organize the three types of mental stimulation worth engaging in:
Type 1: Group Conversation Stimulation
Group conversation stimulation can happen when interacting and discussing a subject of interest with one or more persons. This is vital for any creative person or entrepreneur because you are in the business of solving problems and tackling briefs. Group discussions allow you to share your personal insights and learn from others. It also stretches your capacity to discuss ideas and general issues that can be of value in the future. These conversations however are also somewhat superficial and you may find yourself discussing similar subjects repeatedly, with no real challenge arising from participants. These sessions are usually enjoyable and interesting but safe.
Type 2: Goal Stimulation
Goal stimulation is a variant of the former, but is in a higher category than the group conversation. It occurs when discussing subjects of interest with one or more persons with whom your goals are aligned. This is far more engaging for the brain because those you are interacting with have a similar end game and agenda as yourself.
You can benefit a great deal more from these conversations and apply what you learn within your social circle, your personal life or your career. These conversations are typically more intense and filled with passion; those around you understand you and are able to relate to you. They also have a bigger impact in the direction your life takes as you are able to examine and measure your progress against others who may be farther ahead for example.
Type 3: Mentor Stimulation (AKA Master Stimulation)
This to me is the best type of conversation stimulation. It occurs when you interact and converse with your ONE master stimulator. Not only should your goals align with this person, but they are of more value to you as the stimulator in this case is also somewhat of a mentor or life coach.
When you meet with such a person, I would suggest you limit your interactions to a one-on-one basis, as you are more likely to get their undivided attention and focus from the conversations that way. These sessions are addictive and truly stimulating. They might be long, but should have a natural flow to them. The feelings of respect and admiration are mutual but the mentor typically feels a deeper sense of responsibility towards the mentee.
If you have met your master stimulator or have come across them, then you are in luck as they are hard to find. If you think you know who could be your master stimulator it would worth approaching them. Either way this is a two way street and the conversation should be beneficial to the mentor and the apprentice with both challenging each other along the way.
At the end of the day, we can all be stimulated through meaningful conversation, but those that can add value through it are the ones worth pursuing a relationship with.