The best teachers
April 8, 2022.
“The illiterate of the 21st century aren’t those who can’t read or write, but those who cant learn to unlearn & relearn.”- Alvin Toffler
Often hear this from my father- you go slow, don’t keep jumping jobs, because I have a track record of moving jobs quite a bit- not as quick as 6 to 8months though but a year to 2 at most. 4 years is the longest I have spent at any company, recently I had time to think to introspect and ask questions- something I am good at, I have always had an inquiring mind. Something over the years I have been able to hone my to ask the right questions, at the right time that is often misconstrued as being direct to the point of brutality. This is Lesson 1 have an inquiring mind — ask the right questions at the right time and most importantly package it well.Be observant and conscious of your audience, delivery and message.
The world I knew while growing up has changed- we could get away with name-calling, fights on the playground and scraped knees. Today everything is padded, a baby is born we baby proof the house. We take utmost care that she/he does not come to harm, but let me tell you this- life’s most valuable lessons are those that are taught the harshest way. The only way you learn to be careful with money is when you have lost it. Am big on movies and I absolutely adore DC comics, the point is we all have that Alfred in our life who asks us “Why do we fall Master Bruce? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.” Lesson 2 Tough love is to be wisely exercised. Learning becomes more challenging as we grow older, so keep Lesson 2 in mind. Resilience and perseverance are key to overcoming this. Everything cannot be thought in a classroom or a lecture, sometimes its important to have experiential learning.
Lesson 3 stay up to date: Staying current and up to date means you are able to adapt to the world-changing around you, it shows resilience. It reaffirms the fact that you are able to learn quickly and act according to trends. In the 21st century, the fast-paced world we live in time is a commodity being traded by the new generation of entrepreneurs and workforce.(refer to my earlier post on Time)
In conclusion, the best teachers aren’t the people, but they are self learning, experience and skills that you pick up hone and sharpen over time. They are in fact — Instinct, resilience and experience.