LeARNinG

I am a great proponent of learning. Or something approaching that. I believe that our entire life presents us with endless opportunities to learn. It’s important to keep an open mind, I used to tell my juniors whom I mentored at work. Never stop asking why.

Yet I sometimes wonder how much of my own wise counsel I follow. It’s easy enough to learn new skills, like mastering Excel spreadsheets or painting a door frame. And it’s easy enough to learn things about other people – we do that every time we gossip. But lessons about ourselves? That becomes tricky. Especially when the lessons yield answers that are unpleasant.

I should know, because my friend just told me the other day that I am too proud, and my pride does not serve me well. And of course I became all defensive. Coming up with all sorts of reasons to try to justify myself. Who am I trying to kid anyway? If I look hard into the core of my being, I know all my failings as a human. The important question is, what do I do about it?

Learning is one thing. Accepting is another thing. But doing what you’ve learnt and accepted, now this is where it gets interesting.