A Little Birdie Told Me (Shawn Sommerkamp)

Picture this scene: You have a final meeting scheduled with a big potential client. The first few didn’t go as well as you would have liked. Their consultant selection criteria seem harsh and several times they were abrupt during the discussions. You feel nervous, perhaps not even looking forward to it. This is a big opportunity so it’s important you meet but you feel a sense of dread nonetheless.

What do you do to prepare for the meeting? We can turn to Ecclesiastes 10:20 and learn from the very wisdom of Solomon.

Ecclesiastes 10:20

Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say.

If I asked you to describe the purpose of the passage above, what would you say? What is it talking about? Why does God (through King Solomon) include such a scripture in the Bible?

Is it saying that a little birdie will eavesdrop on your conversations and go snitch on you?

Does it reveal that there are actually mind reading animals looking to expose us?

Of course the answer is No! So what is its meaning?

Here is the simple answer: Our thoughts betray us. What we think about others will come out in our actions one way or another.

Can you see what I mean? Solomon paints a picture where you’re alone in your bedroom, thinking poorly about someone (the potential client in this case). A little birdie reads your thoughts and reports that self-talk back to the person you are thinking poorly about.

You simply cannot hide the way you feel about a person, no matter how bad you try or hope to hide it. It will come out in your body language, the cold tone to your voice, your averted eyes, your physical posture during the presentation, curt email responses, etc. Maybe you can name even more.

So what can you do the next time you have a meeting with a client or partner or employee you have mixed feelings about?

1. Think about them in a positive light before the meeting
2. Say a prayer for this person, asking God to bring them peace
3. Remind yourself (using self-talk) of the good you see in them
4. Ask God to allow you to find favor in their eyes
5. Deep breathe for sixty seconds and calm your mind

By the time you have the discussion, your feelings toward this person will be brighter. You will convey the non-verbal message that you actually think fondly of them … which will be completely true because you were just thinking fondly of them. That little bird will tell them, “This person wants to be in this meeting with you right now, thinks highly of you, and wants your business.”

Philippians 2:3

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.

During a time in my career where I was at constant odds with a customer, I taped this passage to my laptop screen. Every time I made a call to the customer, I read the passage and mediated for a few minutes on its truth. I pictured myself taking a humble stance in their presence.

Jesus teaches this truth in his lessons on humility. It is better, by far, to humble ourselves. When we think poor thoughts of someone we are, in a sense, looking down on them. This is true for clients, co-workers, family members, and yes, even our spouses.

Practice taking the dedicated time before each meeting to meditate on these passages. Put into constant practice these principles and you will experience a radical change in the way you feel toward all.

About Shawn Sommerkamp

Shawn Sommerkamp is a certified professional coach with a career spanning six years in the Navy submarine service, 20 in Fortune 100 America, and a dream to bring the virtues of Christ into the marketplace.

Shawn is also an amateur theologian who teaches God’s word to local New England churches.

Shawn created a trademarked tool that helps Christian professionals instantly unblock themselves in any situation — Thought Tuning™. Using a six step, self-talk process combined with a knowledge of one’s Core Values, Christians can now achieve what they’ve always believed as the power of positive thinking but were unable to create lasting results.

As founder of Motivationeer™ Christian Coaching, he blends business experience, corporate leadership, Bible truths, and Thought Tuning™ to help Christians professionally and financially excel through transformational thinking.