Lessons are what we learn from our own experience. Any subject taught may have various sections or lessons to it but if it doesn’t have value to me, I won’t learn much. The class becomes a chore that I endure to get a passing grade. Growing up most of our learning was not by choice. Handed or forced might be more accurate. Our parents stressed certain behaviors and topics. Our teachers put into us required subjects. I barely remember what we were learned in 3rd grade or 8th grade and even high school. I remember the fights: the ones won, others lost and the ones I wished I hadn’t started. There is the lingering sting of rejection a certain 6th grade girl provided by her saying no to going with me to the Spring Festival. I will always treasure the satisfaction of learning all my lines and performing well as the male lead in a high school play.
It is said that knowledge is power. If that were really true then the person who knows the most would be the most powerful. So far, I haven’t seen that theory as a practical reality. To me, the conversion of information into practical wisdom is where the real power is. I have always hated courses or books that only convey the theory and dry facts with little or no real world application. I majored in Accounting for my undergraduate degree. I used to bristle when the theory never seemed to make sense or I couldn’t translate it into practice since I wasn’t an Accountant yet. While working as an Accountant most of the theory I forget but the experience and practice I remember.
Value clarification was one of several exercises in an online course I took about two years ago. I’ve done value clarification myself and with coaching clients over the years. What was interesting and challenging was the question of why that particular value was important to me. The instructor said that usually we choose things in order to move away from them. For example, I value honesty because most people are not honest. The logic is that you only value something if is important to you and has nothing to do with whether anyone else values it. I discovered through that exercise that one of my core values is learning. I receive joy and satisfaction when I am learning something new.
Learning requires a choice made and paying attention to the lessons learned correlates to what we truly value. The choice of that learning is determined by what I value. Since, I want to learn about the brain and learning so I can educate, equip and empower moms and dads I will always choose to attend one more seminar, class, purchase the book to help me learn more to reach more families.. My fundamental and primary choice is governed by the fact that my learning will eventually benefit others.
The contribution I make today and the legacy I leave behind are also part of my hard wiring and core values. My choices must be congruent with what is important to me. Those choices when aligned with my values to learn, contribute and leave a legacy open new opportunities and brain cell connections. This makes my brain and heart happy!