Learning
At work, as it is with life, the learning never ends.
“I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma.” (Eartha Kitt)
Learning is the key to success at work, yet not what a lot of people want to do. For me, the fun of work is learning about something I know nothing about or improving on those things I do know something about. When I am learning something new, I often can feel overwhelmed and that feeling motivates me to understand what it is that I am learning. Because I hate the feeling of being overwhelmed, I work harder and focus more.
“Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn and you will.” (Vernon Howard)
Your attitude is the key to learning. If you think you have nothing to learn or you are afraid or unwilling to explore your areas of weakness, then you will not grow. Again, it is about taking risks with yourself and challenge yourself. I truly believe that I can always be a better husband, father, friend, and worker, no matter what. Though it is challenging at times, I am never completely satisfied with what I do and who I am.
“Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every conceived notion, follow humbly wherever and whatever abysses nature leads, or you will learn nothing.” (Thomas Huxley – Aldous Huxley’s grandfather)
Learning also requires that you allow it to happen and that you are willing to let learning change your perception of the truth. Leave your bias at the door. It is much easier not to challenge yourself, but you will not grow until you do.
“The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge.” (Elbert Hubbard)
You can also learn from your mistakes. The key is to be willing to make mistakes and take risks, and willing to learn from mistakes.
“It is important that students bring a certain ragamuffin, barefoot irreverence to their studies; they are not here to worship what is known, but to question it.” (Jacob Bronowski)
And one final quote that I find rather striking: “The ink of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of the martyr. “ (Mohammed)