There once was a woman, who was a hugely talented weaver. Her name was Arachne, and she lived on an island in Greece, with her father 🏛
Arachne was very proud of her talent. She never stopped telling anyone who would listen that she was the best weaver in Greece 💪
She even said that she was a better weaver than the goddess Athene…
Arachne’s father was worried by the way Arachne boasted about her weaving skills 😬 He begged her not to compare herself to the goddess Athene, because he feared she would be angered and take revenge 😡
But Arachne ignored him. And then she did something even more foolish – she challenged Athene to a weaving contest 😬
Not long after, an old woman visited Arachne’s house. She told her to withdraw her challenge 👵
Arachne’s father asked her to agree, conscious of the dangers of challenging the gods. But Arachne laughed at the old woman, and said again that she was a better weaver than Athene, and could prove it in a competition.
The old woman was very angry at this. And the next moment, the old woman transformed into the goddess Athene 🧚♀️✨
Her father was terrified, and begged Arachne to apologise 😩 However, rather than being afraid, and despite her father’s warnings, Arachne just repeated her challenge. So Athene decided to teach her a lesson.
The weaving contest began…
The woman and the goddess worked at their looms all day, creating marvellous designs. When the day was finished, the two tapestries were compared.
Athene’s tapestry showed the gods in all their glory 🤩 But Arachne’s showed the gods as drunken fools 🥸
Angered, Athene slashed at Arachne’s tapestry, then turned her rage on Arachne herself 🤯
Now, finally scared of the power of the goddess, and fearing an even worse fate, Arachne tied a noose around her neck and hanged herself from a beam.
Arachne’s father was distraught and begged Athene to spare his daughter. Moved by his sorrow, and perceiving the love that motivated him, Athene listened to his request 🥺
As she was still hanging from the beam, first, Arachne’s hair fell out; then her nose, ears and legs fell off. Her arms disappeared, so her fingers were attached to the sides of her body. And finally, she shrank…
Until all that was left was a spider, hanging from a thread 🕷
This lesson could easily apply equally to work – how often do we miss valuable learning opportunities because we don’t listen properly? 🤔 Listening is crucial to effective communication, be it at work, home or between friends. Do you have a listening ear?
Wishing you a positive, productive, and EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION-filled week! 😊🔥💪
with much love, 🧡
Kirsten xx
