This week, I had the privilege of spending time with an exceptional group of K-12 educators. As we discussed their varied challenges in today’s classroom, it renewed my appreciation for the complexity and the weight of what teachers take on every day. It’s amazing! It takes courage to come alongside parents and help us shape our future leaders. It also reminds me how important it really is to both learn and teach others about hard things worth doing (#HTWD). But, can you and I teach important things to others, if we are still learning them ourselves? How well can you teach things you don’t know?
The best way to learn something . . .
It’s often said that, “There is no better way to learn than to teach.”
Do you agree?
Do we need to achieve expert-level status on important lessons before we can begin to share what we’re still learning with others?
I sure hope not! Otherwise, those who know us best will be cheated out of opportunities to learn from our mistakes.
The ultimate buy one, get one
Most hard things you believe are worth doing come at some sort of personal price. For example, it took things like your time, your money, your energy, or your knowledge to accomplish this thing.
Can’t the same thing be said of the important things worth learning?
Aren’t some of the most valuable gifts you have to give others the lessons you are still in the process of learning?
You’ve already paid some sort of price to show up to “life’s classroom.” Why not get more “bang”? Give the lesson you are still learning away for free.
In an effort to “put my money where my mouth is,” here’s more on some of the hard things I’m STILL learning:
- Choosing inner strengths versus self-made weaknesses and modeling that to my kids.
- Giving the benefit of the doubt to “difficult” people and assuming they too would like to reach their full potential.
- Flipping my strongest weakness back to its original power as my strongest inner strength.
- Mastering intelligent emotions.