One of the enormous takeaways from writing a daily lesson learned for all of 2012 is the realization that it is possible to learn something every day if you try. Some days it’s easy because you have been very intentional about learning some subject or pursuing something new. Other days it’s unintentional and the particular lessons learned may be welcome or somewhat unwelcome because you learn them through mistakes or pain or the negative consequences of actions.
Because I approached each day of 2012 with the framework of my three words – ground, stretch, reflect – I was more intentional about reflecting on each day’s events, drawing some lesson from at least one thing that happened. Without that final period of reflection, much of what happened would not have resulted in that last step of capturing some truth. Maybe I would have learned some lessons anyway – maybe not.
As one who spent most of my adult career in a professional learning role, learning is important to me. It always will be whether I am in such a formal role or not. Those who spend their days teaching, facilitating, guiding, etc. know, however, that actual learning is up to the learner. I can’t really teach anyone anything. I can’t force someone to learn who is not willing to do so.
By the same token, it is not possible to keep people from learning if they are determined to do so. Individual, self-motivated learners may have more work to do than if others spoon feed them, but if you pursue knowledge, it will come. That means that nobody has an excuse of blaming others for failure to learn.
Of course, we aren’t all suited to become experts at everything. Through a combination of natural talents, God-given gifts, environment, opportunity, effort, and the influence of others, we hone in on those things which attract our interest and fulfill our passions. We are wonderfully and thankfully diverse in how that plays out in each of us, assuring that somehow we all fit and work together as a community in the end.
I hope you don’t think you’re finished with learning. I know I’m not.
Leap year lesson #365 is You can learn if you try.
While walking at a local park this afternoon with my dog, I enjoyed watching a father have a “race” with his young son. The son was probably no more than five years old. When I first saw them, the boy was about 20 yards ahead of his dad, running for all he was worth toward a soccer goal. The dad closed in little by little, almost catching up with him at the goal line, but – not surprisingly – the boy barely beat his dad to the finish.
When I was in high school, someone at my church asked me to start teaching a Sunday School class for boys who were in junior high school. I did so, had a great time, and thus embarked on a practice that – except for very few years – has been a staple in my life since then.
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