Tag-Archive for » learning «

Does my comfort zone equal status quo?
24
July

How do you grow?

In February 2005 George O’Kelley taught me “Nothing changes if nothing changes.” Mostly I focused this outward viewing others and their actions but recently realized my lack of change.

My comfort zone has been reading the same types of books. Really I had not realized the depth of things until I read The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer. I have changed and grown mightily through reading yet now realize I have really not achieved escape velocity.

Has my growth been stymied? Have I been comfortable in my learning/growth and perhaps even proud?

~POW~

Like in an old movie fight scene; my head was rocked. I was accepting the status quo by doing what I had always done. My comfort zone evaporated. Would I patch it up and continue the status quo? Afraid not.

Walking outside my comfort zone bears out the the truth Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. proclaimed; “Man’s mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions.”

I am stretching.

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The simple life
30
June

Life is whole not separation.

Life is the whole thing. What I do, who I am being, what I love, where I live/work/play, why I take action.

Taken as a whole life is simple. Put forth your best effort in each adventure while you strive to highlight the truth. This is your simple life. Not saying it is easy but I will not go back to torn apart. Life in separate compartments can be hard as you grope to maintain the distinction between home/work/play.

How do you live life?

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Love it when a plan comes together
24
February

Great conservation with a student today reaching beyond the walls of the classroom into many areas of life. In this lively discussion he touched on a point and I responded “I wrote about that last night on my blog.” With wide eyes he read the post and showed appreciation with a knuckle-bump.

Share what is on your heart to touch a soul.

You may be the only person that helps someone become who they are supposed to be.

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Learning environment
17
February

My learning environment starts in my own head. How does my physical environment affect me? Really it brings a lot to bear on my day. The things I can control in my space I actively seek excellence for best results. Same in my head. I strive to achieve the best environment between my ears so I am ripe for learning.

We are either growing or dying. Our learning environment makes us ripe or rotten.

What have you learned recently that has you excited?

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Learning by listening
16
February

Be quiet and see what you learn.

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Linchpin goes to school
26
January

Seth Godin made it easy to lead when he allowed us to make a difference through the Acumen Foundation (thanks Seth). His gift, Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? is making a difference in my classroom.

What has us excited?

Emotional Labor and Making Maps validates the grand side adventures we take to understand the WHY in many of the things we do.

No cog workers trained here. Our subject matter could be mundane except we understand it as the medium in which we have to practice our art. As Seth states; My students’ “art is a personal gift that changes the recipient.”

Students that are indispensable because of their hearts of service. We are in good hands with these students because Linchpin goes to school.

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Seek
23
January

Intersted in growth?

Seek learning opportunities.

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Will it work?
19
January

This works. This does not work.

One person says doing this works. Another person says the very same thing does not work.

What do you do?

Me, I do what works for me. I have false starts (try something & it does not work) all the time and move on till a thing works.

Before stumbling across this method I would try a thing, fail and then feel bad because ‘they’ said this is how you do it.

-Or-

I would not try a thing because ‘they’ said this way does not work. I would still feel bad because my progress was stunted.

Advice appreciated, now how about action? When I try a thing that doesn’t work for me I do not feel bad but chalk it up to learning. Next… Well, that one does not work either. Next… No bad feelings just find how I work best.

Will it work for you? Try it and let me know how you did it. Thanks.

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Are you waiting for life to begin?
27
July

You are made for today. Today is your birthright to claim. Today sets up your beautiful tomorrow for ever and ever.

Stay with me here and you will understand this deeper.

Most of us are waiting for “some day” to arrive. We say; “When I graduate, When I make more money, When the kids are gone, When. . .”

Are you ready? Here is the deeper understanding for us to stop waiting for life to begin.

“My answer is to redefine the question. Not only do we have to be good at waiting, we have to love it. Because waiting is not waiting, it is life. Too many of us live without fully engaging our minds, waiting for that moment when our real lives begin. Years pass in boredom, but that is okay because when our true love comes around, or we discover our real calling, we will begin. Of course the sad truth is that if we are not present to the moment, our true love could come and go and we wouldn’t even notice. And we will have become someone other than the you or I who would be able to embrace it. I believe an appreciation for simplicity, the everyday-the ability to dive deeply into the banal and discover life’s hidden richness-is where success, let alone happiness, emerges.” (The Art of Learning – Josh Waitzkin)

The wait is over.

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Curiositá and Continuous Learning
28
June

The wonder of a child is refreshing and gives us a pattern to which we can return. The sad part is having lost the wonder, the curiosity. Pablo Picasso had it right when he said; “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”

When did your artist leave? Mine departed at a very early age but is being welcomed back through reading. Artist is a metaphor for the ‘wonder of a child’ kind-of-life with limitless possibilities. You are free to claim your ‘wonder of a child’ life.

I am gleaning nuggets in How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci by Michael J. Gleb. Here is one great nugget from Michael that we can cash in for profit; “You can increase your problem-solving skills, at work and at home, by honing your questioning-asking ability.” Think about questions from a child. Tap into that wonder, see with fresh eyes, ask why, ask why not.

“Just as iron rusts from disuse, and stagnant water putrefies, or when cold turns to ice, so our intellect wastes unless it is kept in use.” Leonardo da Vinci

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