He started the workshop by asking us to reflect on a part of our childhood and share that out with strangers. I'm forty five years old but I suddenly didn't feel that old anymore. I was able to remember, in an instant, very specific memories of growing up. Some of those memories were bright and positive and some of them were sad and lonely.
When it became my turn, I spoke about second chances and people believing in me. At my very core, I still bring those experiences to my interactions with others these some 30 plus years later. We can pretend we don't, but we do.
There are still words, on a singular level, that can trigger a response from me. Said even in isolation, these words cause an internal reaction. The response isn't even just related to that ONE moment when the word was spoken. Instead the word acts as a key that opens up all the past memories I have associated with that word.
That doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing.
It could be a good thing.
It could be the "thing" that helps me see a situation from a student's perspective. I think it matters in how we decide to interpret what is in front of us and make it match or not match with what may be behind us.
And in that moment, it becomes our opportunity to help another human do better today than they did yesterday. So 30 years from now, when our kids look back on lessons learned growing up, our shared moments have the potential to become some of the most helpful instruction ever received.
When it became my turn, I spoke about second chances and people believing in me. At my very core, I still bring those experiences to my interactions with others these some 30 plus years later. We can pretend we don't, but we do.
There are still words, on a singular level, that can trigger a response from me. Said even in isolation, these words cause an internal reaction. The response isn't even just related to that ONE moment when the word was spoken. Instead the word acts as a key that opens up all the past memories I have associated with that word.
That doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing.
It could be a good thing.
It could be the "thing" that helps me see a situation from a student's perspective. I think it matters in how we decide to interpret what is in front of us and make it match or not match with what may be behind us.
And in that moment, it becomes our opportunity to help another human do better today than they did yesterday. So 30 years from now, when our kids look back on lessons learned growing up, our shared moments have the potential to become some of the most helpful instruction ever received.
“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.”
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