Always do your best……….make a commitment to a life time of learning. There is much for us to learn in this life and we make a big mistake if we think that our learning has an expiry date. Early in our lives we are involved in formal education and that may lead to more academic learning at College or University….. that doesn’t mean we are done. Every day presents us with an opportunity to learn. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the makeup of our character, and of our thoughts, as well as our success. The people that we encounter each day have something to teach us…..sometimes their actions teach us what we shouldn’t do – and others bring a fresh perspective to a tired approach.
I was taught by my mother….when you lose in life, make sure you don’t lose the lesson. Committing to that reflection, forces us to examine what happened without laying blame….it helps us to see what we would do differently next time, and so the lesson is not lost and growth and learning are assured. If we take the attitude that we have multiple credentials and we’ve arrived at our learning destination then the risk is we don’t know what we don’t know. When we become attached to what we do know, it can manifest as arrogance and judgement; and it’s never good to rest on your laurels. Think of your learning as a bicycle…..the front tire is where your skills and abilities and degrees reside…..the rear tire is where you interpersonal skills, your social ability, your leadership resides and if either of those tires is not fully inflated then the bike doesn’t go very far.
Sivananda Saraswati said “This world is your best teacher. There is a lesson in everything. There is a lesson in each experience. Learn it and become Wise. Every failure is a stepping stone to success. Every difficulty or disappointment is a trial of your faith. Every unpleasant incident or temptation is a test of your inner strength. March forward hero!