Lessons Through a Webcam

This afternoon my 4-week teacher training came to a close. Strangely, it was a bit emotional. For nearly a month 35 soon-to-be instructors stared through a webcam, yet managed to construct a sense of community.  

Many of my classmates will go on to graduate school and pursue careers in teaching full-time. For others this position will merely be a summer job, something to pay the bills in the middle of a transition. But we all share a love of reading, stories, and spirit for sharing that very passion.

Our instructor ended our final session by telling us how much the work meant to her, which had a profound influence on me. I sensed how important her time at this institution was and immediately decided I would do anything not to disappoint her. But most importantly the students deserve our very best.

What I learned today was well-worth the 4 weeks and perhaps the most poignant lesson of all:

Always show up. Always go to the fear. Always do what you can.

Secret Sauce

I remember once overhearing a classmate in drama school confidently proclaim, "I already know everything I need to know about myself." He was 21 years old.

He's done growing, I thought. And far wiser men have thought the same. Former UCLA Basketball coach and 10-National Champion John Wooden once shared, "If I am through learning, I am through.

Writer and leadership speaker Robin Sharma says the secret sauce used by superachievers is as a lust for asking questions. It's having a childlike sense of wonder and a commitment to Always Be Learning (ABL) that not only keeps them young, but fuels their creativity and success. Ideas are currency. 

Stay curious. No matter where you are, you've only just begun.

Swallow Your Pride and Learn Something

I spent my morning at a workshop for goal-setting and visualizing your future. I tried to approach the opportunity with an open-mind and without any preconceived notions.

We broke into groups and discussed what each of us came up with during a brief exercise in which we closed our eyes and pictured where we wanted to be professionally, personally, and even spiritually a year from now.

One of the coaches joined my group. He listened to each of us discuss our plans before jumping in and offering his take on how to navigate the road ahead.

He was earnest and very passionate. I tried to give over to what he was suggesting but had trouble getting past his youth, nearly wondering out loud what credibility he had. This isn’t my first rodeo, I thought to myself. 

But as the workshop went on I gave over to the belief that if I could learn just one thing it was worth my participation. I needed to be more flexible in my thinking, make an effort to take in the point of view of another person before deciding to dismiss it, or apply it.

In the end, the lesson was: swallow your pride and focus on what you can gain. Someone, no matter who, will ALWAYS know something that you don't.