The “Learning Edge” Meme
Posted in Contests and Memes, Personal Development on July 20th, 2007 by JennyIt is intriging to hear how other people go about growth and learning; what they read, who they talk to and the things they experience. John at Technology for Living tagged us with a meme earlier this week. A meme is kind of like the “wave” done at sporting events or chain letters, except it’s electronic on blogs. A question is posed, answered and then sent on to others.
The “learning edge“ meme asks one to:
Write a post about your “learning edge” and what you’re into these days. Feel free to mention any books you’re reading, classes you’re taking, people you’re learning from or collaborating with, etc. Tell us about the gems you’re picking up, the fun you’re having, etc., especially if they’re shifting the way you look at what you do.
Funny enough, it was perfect timing for this meme to arrive. I have been in the midst of a steep learning curve and the “tests” have been coming fast and furious. By taking the time to reflect upon what I have been experiencing, reading and discussing with others I realized just how much I have learned. I am surprised to see how many of these learnings have transitioned from simply understanding a concept into having this understanding fundamentally change me.
Back in March of 2007 I made two rather whimsical decisions that I expected to be interesting, and perhaps a bit of an adventure, but not entirely transformative. First, my close friend Erin and I accepted a rather daunting dare to walk many, many miles of state trails. We agreed there was no way we would lose the dare. Second, Erin and I started this blog and committed to regularly posting through the remainder of the calendar year. Once these decisions were made there was no going back, especially because neither of us have the stomach for quitting.
These two commitments have turned out to be much different - and have had much more impact - than I could of ever anticipated. I have been challenged mentally, emotionally and physically. I never thought I would ever say something like this but the pain I have experienced, and continue to, is positive as I have learned to experience my life through different eyes.
Among the things I’ve learned:
- My limits are far greater than I imagined;
- Sometimes all success entails is a refusal to stop;
- A commitment honored is a sacred and completely transformative experience;
- Despite all my effort there are things that I just can’t control. All I can control is how I respond (this learning has had to come to me in many, many forms from reading Stephen Covey, writing posts on this very topic, being reminded of said posts by my father and so forth…);
- Change is hard and uncomfortable, and these feelings stick around for quite some time;
- I tend to give much more care and consideration to others then I do to myself. Meeting these challenges will be impossible if this does not change; and
- Finally, I am one very, very lucky person to be surrounded by such incredible people who have helped me in ways big and small! In particular I want to thank Erin for being such a truly wonderful and compassionate friend and co-conspirator in aspects of these adventures that will never, ever, ever be told…
Well, this is the state of my “learning edge”. Just for fun I wonder if Erin, Mark or Jason have anything to say because they’ve just been “tagged” with the learning edge meme…
Related Posts:
Becoming a Better Person Sucks
Learning to Fly, Reflections from Gateway State Trail
You Will Self Destruct in 5…4…3…
July 20th, 2007 at 11:22 am
A very interesting edge, and thanks for sharing it! I find myself learning (and re-learning) (and sometimes re-re-learning) the same lessons. It is one thing to read about this stuff in a book or on a blog, but as we know, it’s another thing entirely to actually live the lessons.
July 20th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
Thanks John, it is funny how there seem to be multiple levels to learning…
July 20th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
I’m learning new things all the time… every new experience is a new opportunity to learn. I even wrote an article about that (new experiences, learning, pattern recognition, and growing smarter) this morning.
July 22nd, 2007 at 6:15 pm
All you can control is how you respond. Exactly! I love Stephen Covey and have read probably everything he has ever written. Multiple times.
Hiya Jenny! How’s it going? Hugs to you and Erin.
July 23rd, 2007 at 12:08 am
[…] timing indeed Jenny. I’m reading new books, taking new classes, collaborating with new people, picking up some […]
July 23rd, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Hey Dan!
Going good but not as good as you seem to be with your “I Love Everybody” post happening. The vacationing and hiking appears to have done you good.
Back away - I’m not hugging you until I hear exactly what happened with Bigfoot. I don’t want cooties or whatever it is Bigfoot carries!
July 24th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
Funny, how when you recognize you’re on a “learning curve” that the pace of the learning itself expands almost expontentially. Its a part of the law of attraction. When you decide to learn, and you desire to learn, then, conditions evolve and present those tests you seek. I trust you will continue savoring every moment, every experience. After all, everything happens at exactly the right time, when you’re good and ready.
July 25th, 2007 at 4:09 am
Thanks for the kind words Liara!
July 25th, 2007 at 11:08 am
The law of attraction itself is a way to make a simple thing seem more mystical. If you decide to learn and you desire to learn, then you train your subconscious to look for opportunities to learn, and it alerts your conscious mind when it sees them, rather than letting them pass by with the other ninety-something percent of what goes on around you.
This is not saying the concept of the law of attraction doesn’t work, it’s just that there are ways to explain it that are not mystical, and are easier for the majority of people to understand.
July 26th, 2007 at 7:20 am
I would have to say my beliefs are similar to yours Jason when you describe the law of attraction as a way to make something fairly simple seem mystical.
I would tend to disagree that describing it in a non-mystical way makes it easier to understand though, perhaps it makes it easier for certain people to understand minus the mystical languge but those people are just a portion of the entire population. The language obviously works for many, many people or we won’t keep hearing so much about it.
July 26th, 2007 at 11:32 am
That’s because a lot of people WANT something mystical. They don’t actually want to understand it, they just want someone to tell them what to do to magically make things better. The fact that this particular mysticism is a cloak for something true makes it work, and since it works, it makes people stick with it and spread it.
When you explain it as I did above, it doesn’t get spread around all that much, because it just sounds like common sense… what need is there to pass that on?
July 27th, 2007 at 1:58 am
It’s even worse when you use words like reticular activating system. It’s amazing that talking about the RAS can actually turn people’s brains *off*
I think a lot of people don’t realise that mystery is a call to dispel ignorance, not wallow in it. And mysticism is the glorification of mystery.
July 27th, 2007 at 6:56 am
Jason,
I think this is a subject upon which we’ll have to agree to disagree…
I believe there are many sides of life which are difficult to explain, and we all take different approaches to doing so. However, I’m not sure how people of different mindsets will be able to understand one another (or be motivated to try) if the starting assumptions are the other side is simple minded or lazy. It doesn’t leave much room for growth or dialog.
At times I have been written off for the very reasons you note as well as others (by both sides incidentally) and honestly all I‘ve been doing is seeking understanding not looking to avoid it.
Mark,
Yah, a real shocker that listening to someone talk about reticular activating systems makes them start to doze off… Joking, my friend. I’d listen to you talk about RAS for hours with full attention…
July 27th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
By the way, I’m not saying that anyone is simple minded or lazy. I’m saying people like mystery, because if you explain it in simple terms, then it becomes common sense, that everyone knows, and it’s no longer “special”.
There is a huge difference between that and thinking someone is simple minded or lazy.
July 27th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Jason,
Forgive me if I interpreted your words differently than you meant them, that’s how what you wrote appeared to me. I certainly am not trying to put words into your mouth. Point taken about common sense versus “special”.
July 28th, 2007 at 1:12 am
Jason, but can anything actually ever be totally explained in “simple” terms? It seems the world is much deeper than what one mind can comprehend.
July 28th, 2007 at 11:53 am
Simple is relative. What can be done, often, is to explain one subject well enough that once it’s been explained that way, it seems like it was obvious, and the person having it explained to them actually feels like they either already knew that (whether they did or not), or that they should have already known that.
The effect of this ends up being that they don’t pass the knowledge on, because it seems so obvious that everyone knows it, and by passing it on, they are admitting they did not know something that everyone should know. That’s why myths/mysticism/fantastic explanations spread faster and wider, and often last longer, than the truth explained in a “simple” way. And when the myth/mysticism/fantastic explanation is done in a way that essentially cloaks the simple explanation but still provides a way to access the same effect, then it is even more likely to spread, because it’s taking advantage of a truth, an effective action or pattern of action, and simply cloaking it in a way that you can explain to another person and sound like an expert, rather than an idiot explaining something the other person already knows.