The School of Life; The University of Hard Knocks.
Sound familiar?
You go to school to learn how to live in society. Then it’s off to university to get a degree to show society that you can think. You’re sold the dreams of society – good education, good job, material wealth, family and children all leading to satisfaction in your golden years.
The greater your education, the better your status and position in the food chain but with all this learning, you fail miserably when it comes to the University of Life. This is evidenced in the countless number of failed businesses, relationships and health.
The problem with the School of Life is that it first sends you the examination and then the lessons. It seems as though life is conspiring to make you fail.
I’m sure that you’ve realised that the most important lessons you could ever learn are not found in books but a lot of what you’ve learnt from books gets in the way of life’s instructions.
Have you learnt your lesson or are you repeating the same exam over and over again?
A teachable mind is another key element to a strong mental foundation.
Does your education prevent you from learning?
Have you been educated beyond your intelligence?
Are you prepared to learn from any situation that confronts you or are you too proud?
A teachable person is someone who is prepared to learn from everything.
- They don’t consider themselves better or worthier than anybody else but are modest in their opinion of themselves.
- They have a proper estimation of themselves and are usually humble people.
- They’re not arrogant, self opinionated, harsh and abrasive.
- They listen a lot and talk very little about their achievements.
- They come open minded, ready to hear and eager to learn.
- They’re positive in their approach to life.
- They’re willing to think why something can work or prove it is possible.
I’ve often met people from all walks of life who are keen to tell me how great they are because of all the money they’ve made or the great things they’ve done.
I’d rather let my words and actions speak for themselves.
I’ve had architects and engineers tell me that I should mind my own business because they’re professionals who know what they are doing, only to have the exact problem happen which I’d asked about.
Was it because I knew better than they did?
No – I’d worked in the environment and had experience they wouldn’t acknowledge.
Their theory was correct but it didn’t work in practise.
I’m certain you’ve experienced similar things in life where people are just too proud to accept that they might be wrong. They had to learn the hard way when they could’ve changed their thinking and been teachable. So much easier don’t you think?
Are you teachable or intractable? (Difficult, obstinate, stubborn, unregenerate, wild)
We receive three educations, one from our parents, one from our schoolmasters, and one from the world. The third contradicts all that the first two teach us. ~ Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu