Day to day there are numerous distractions. From your assignments at work, to fixing the car, to taking your kids to birthday parties. It goes without saying, life is distracting. It is easy to go a week, a month, even five years on auto pilot, perfecting your schedule trying to become more efficient. Along the way you come face to face with challenges of all sizes, from trying to find your child's constantly lost shoe to tough emotional hardships of not being able to provide that month for your family. Sometimes you run on pure adrenaline or pure emotion. Either way you are trying to be in control of the mess that is life.
Growing older, I believe one of my major problems is relying on myself. Relying on my wisdom, my talents, my skills, and my opinions. Granted...they have gotten me far, however, if this is as much as I am going to know, I am in trouble.
Lately, I have seen the importance of learning. Now one might say to themselves that they are always learning, whether it is a new responsibility at work, or how to deal with your child's changing temperaments. Of course we are learning about things, but how often are we truly learning about ourselves? It is from other sources of knowledge, experience, wisdom where we see the depths of who we can be. Rarely ourselves. It is when I take the time, make it a priority, to read or listen to someones perspective on life that I truly grow.
As a man, I like to think I know it all, can do all. However, I only get so far. Making a priority to pull from other people's wisdom, I can finally see my weaknesses and shortcomings. This is never fun, however it is the first step towards rebuilding. When I looked at the cracked foundation of myself, do I finally see that it is time to start excavating, rather then continue to build.
I am very thankful to great and close friends for investing in me, by letting me invest in them. To be a great man isn't to sit in front of a book all your life, soaking in knowledge. It is about experiencing the triumphs and failures of loved ones that you learn the most about yourself.
Take time to take inventory of yourself. Ask yourself if you are willing to be taught. If you are, I am certain along the way you will be helping teach others. Life is tough, we need to do this together.
No comments:
Post a Comment