Who taught you?

All I know - someone taught me. They may have taught me in person, like a boss or a mentor, or a parent or even a friend. I may have learned by watching someone do something, such as, play baseball or give a speech. And if I did not learn it from a person, then I learned it from a book. The point is that there is very little, if anything, that I can credit myself from learning from myself. Why? Because if I already know it well enough to teach myself, then there is no need to teach myself. The logic is compelling. Is it not?

The irony is that we typically give ourselves credit for the insights and knowledge we have learned from others. The danger is that when we do, that is, when we forget how we learned and from whom we learned in the beginning, we begin a downward spiral of never learning anything new again.

At a birthday celebration last night, I remembered. I remembered how I learned and from whom I learned. It was an existential experience. It was an epiphany. Right then and there, I decided to embark on a new learning experience. I have been opening conversations with people that start with “tell me your story.” I have learned that everyone has one and most people are willing to tell it. However, with my new epiphany, I am going to open conversations with “Teach me something.”

What I learned, or remembered over the weekend is that everyone has something to teach me. I am making a list of people that I know. I am going to call them one at a time and ask them to teach me something. I will let you know what I learn. If I do not call you right away, please do not be offended. You are on list.

Are you making your list?

And remember I am a struggling writer. Ask your friends to take a look at this book.