September Writing Challenge - Prompt #20:
Learning
I have a deep love for learning. In fact, "love of learning" is my top strength in the VIA Survey of Character Strengths.*
Just because I love learning, though, doesn't mean I learn quickly or easily. There are some lessons I've been learning all my life, and they still haven't quite sunk in.
Here are three lessons that I've been learning lately:
Lesson #1: It's okay to change your mind.
It's such a simple statement, but it's something I often forget. Also, I'm a bit of a prideful person, and sometimes changing my mind is equivalent to admitting I was wrong. Who wants to do that?
But it really is okay to change your mind. Sometimes more knowledge is key. Sometimes life circumstances change. Sometimes you gain a new perspective. Sometimes there is not right or wrong - there are just choices.
And just as it is okay for me to change my mind, it's okay for other people to change their minds as well. I need to stop allowing that to be a point of criticism.
Lesson #2: People don't care how much you know
One of the side effects of loving to learn is that I want to share it all. At times, this is appropriate and wanted, but other times, it's not.
I took a class a while ago where I chimed in with "what I know" repeatedly, and I thought I was contributing to the discussion. Now I look back, and I'm actually embarrassed. No one likes a know-it-all, and frankly, I made an ass of myself.
How I make other people feel is far more important than showing them how much I know. I'm trying to be more careful in what I share, and sometimes that means literally biting my tongue.
Lesson #3: No one connects to "perfect"
I think most people have some element of perfectionism they battle, and I am no exception. But we need to remember that "perfect" is an illusion, so really, if we are striving for "perfect" we're really looking to deceive people.
We are far more likable because of our imperfections. Who wants to hang out with someone "perfect?" It's exhausting and bad for the self-esteem. Give me the gal with the messy van and the mascara rings under her eyes any day! She's my person. And she may not be "perfect," but there are a lot of things that she rocks at!
Lesson #4: You can't pray yourself out of it. You must pray yourself through it.
Prayer is actually one of my favorite topics to study. I feel like I am always evolving through prayer and coming to understand it at a greater capacity. Several weeks ago, I was petitioning the Lord for help with the "same old thing" I'm always needing help with, and this was my answer. The Lord is not going to take the thing away. He is going to get me through it.
Over the weekend, I read the book Conquering Fear by Harold S. Kushner (a Jewish Rabbi of note), and he had so many fantastic insights regarding prayer. One quote I liked was this:
You will ask, Why? but God says, I will not explain or try to justify. Instead of an answer, I will give you an agenda of things to do. I will give you all the strength, all the courage, all the faith you need to rebuild and go on with your lives. And that will be the miracle.
It reminded me of Anna's song from Frozen II, "Do the Next Right Thing," which is my go-to song when I get overwhelmed by life (a lesson in and of itself).
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I have more lessons that are ever pressing on me, but these four have earned their own spot in the Notes app on my phone.
*Here are a couple of posts where I've mentioned the VIA Character Survey:
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