Hey there! Let’s talk about something I stumbled across the other day that really got me thinking. It’s this image I saw on X, posted by ElevateYourMind (@leantolearn), and it hit me like a ton of bricks—pun intended! The image has this bold text that says, “If you want success in your life, then…” and it’s paired with two striking visuals: an ear blocked up with bricks and a mouth zipped shut with a metal zipper. At first, I was like, “Whoa, what’s this all about?” But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

 This isn’t just some random artsy post—it’s a deep life lesson wrapped up in a powerful metaphor. So, let’s break it down and see what it’s really telling us about success.
First off, let’s talk about that ear with the bricks. Picture this: a human ear, but instead of being open to hear the world, it’s completely sealed off with a little wall of bricks. 

It’s kind of jarring to look at, right? I mean, ears are meant for hearing, for taking in sounds, voices, ideas. So why block it off? Well, I think the message here is about being selective with what you let into your mind. In life, there’s so much noise—literal and figurative. You’ve got people telling you what you can’t do, social media bombarding you with negativity, and maybe even your own doubts whispering in your head. It’s overwhelming! I know I’ve had days where I’m scrolling through my phone, and suddenly I’m feeling like I’m not good enough because I’m comparing myself to some influencer’s perfect life. That’s the kind of noise this image is telling us to block out.

I remember chatting with my friend Sarah a while back—she’s a super successful graphic designer now, but she wasn’t always that way. She told me, “You know, I used to listen to everyone’s opinions about my work. My family thought I should get a ‘real job,’ my old boss said I’d never make it as a freelancer, and even some friends thought I was dreaming too big. But at some point, I just had to stop listening to all that. I had to put up my own little wall, like those bricks, and focus on what I knew I could do.” That really stuck with me. Sarah didn’t mean she ignored good advice—she meant she stopped letting the negativity and doubt get to her. That’s what the bricks are about: protecting your mind from the stuff that drags you down.

Now, let’s move to the other half of the image—the mouth with the zipper. This one’s a little more intense, don’t you think? It’s a close-up of lips, but they’re zipped shut with this heavy-duty metal zipper. It almost looks painful, like the person can’t speak even if they wanted to. At first, I thought, “Okay, that’s a bit extreme!” But then I realized what it’s getting at. It’s not saying you should never talk—it’s saying you need to be careful about what you say and when you say it. Words have power, and if you’re not mindful, they can mess things up big time.

Think about it. How many times have you said something in the heat of the moment and then regretted it later? I know I have. A few years ago, I was working on a group project at my job, and I got frustrated with one of my teammates. Instead of keeping my cool, I blurted out, “You’re not even trying, are you?” It felt good for about two seconds, but then I saw the hurt on her face, and I wished I could take it back. Turns out, she was dealing with some personal stuff, and my words just made everything worse. That moment taught me a hard lesson: sometimes, keeping your mouth shut is the smartest thing you can do. That zipper in the image? It’s a reminder to think before you speak, especially if what you’re about to say could hurt someone or derail your own goals.

So, when you put these two ideas together—the blocked ear and the zipped mouth—what’s the big takeaway? To me, it’s all about self-control and focus. If you want to succeed in life, you’ve got to master what you let in and what you let out. You’ve got to guard your mind against the noise that pulls you off track, and you’ve got to guard your words so they don’t sabotage your progress. It’s like building a fortress around your dreams, keeping out the bad stuff and making sure you’re not accidentally adding to the chaos.

I started digging a little deeper into this idea, and I came across something interesting. There’s this old Stoic philosopher named Epictetus—I’m probably butchering his name, but bear with me—who said, “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” Isn’t that wild? This guy lived, like, 2000 years ago, and he was already onto this! He believed that listening more and speaking less was the key to a good life. And when you think about it, that’s exactly what this image is saying. Block out the junk, listen to what matters, and be intentional with your words.

I also found this proverb about the Three Wise Monkeys—you’ve probably heard of it: “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.” It comes from a Japanese saying, and it’s often tied to the idea of avoiding negativity and staying morally grounded. The monkeys cover their eyes, ears, and mouth to show they’re not engaging with bad stuff. This image feels like a modern twist on that. Instead of avoiding evil, it’s about avoiding distractions and drama so you can focus on what’s going to get you to your goals.

Now, I know what you might be thinking: “Okay, this sounds great, but does it actually work in real life?” And I’d say, absolutely, it does. I’ve seen it in my own life, and I’ve seen it in others too. Take my cousin Jake, for example. He’s a small business owner, and he’s always been super disciplined about this kind of thing. He told me once, “I don’t waste my energy on gossip or arguments. 

looks like for you—you’ve got to be intentional. Build those walls to protect your mind from the noise. Zip up your mouth when you’re tempted to say something that doesn’t serve your goals. Listen more, speak less, and choose both carefully. It’s not always easy—I still catch myself getting sucked into the drama sometimes—but it’s worth it. Next time you’re feeling overwhelmed or tempted to lash out, just picture that ear with the bricks and that mouth with the zipper. It might just be the reminder you need to stay on track.