“There should be less talk….Take a broom and clean someone’s house. That says enough.” - Mother Teresa

Today is the anniversary of the birth of Mother Teresa, the diminutive spiritual giant who worked daily in the streets of Calcutta. Seeing “Jesus Christ in all of his distressing disguises,” as she put it, Mother Teresa continues to offer us profound wisdom in her briefly spoken advice in this quote. “There should be less talk,” there should be more action on your part.

The old aphorism, “I hear, I forget; I see, I remember; I do, I understand,” applies not only to what you want to learn, but also to how you wish to be treated. Behavior is the most effective way to communicate with others.

When you find yourself embroiled in the futility of words, stop and remind yourself of the great wisdom of Mother Teresa’s suggestion. Ask yourself, “What can I do here?” By all means, talk it out, but eventually you must take the broom and clean the house of another if you are truly going to be of help. Your words, while important, risk being forgotten if they are not followed by action.

People of action, those who make a difference in life, those whom we most admire, all seem to know the truth of the ancient wisdom, “What you do speaks so loud, I can’t hear what you say.” Be a doer. And in the process you will do more to teach others and to bring fulfillment into your own life than all the words in the dictionary could ever convey.