Be Open to Learning New Things

Over the course of living our lives we unwittingly set the stage for who others believe we are, what they think we believe, and what others think we are committed to, and when we step out of that neat tidy space called, for example: “Who Clay is…” we set ourselves up for all sorts of criticism. So let me ask you, if someone believes one way about who you are – the way you are supposed to act, etc – and you step out of that box and ruffle feathers, who has the problem… you – the person stepping out of the mould – or the person who cast the mould?

Well, I’ve never been one to believe in holding back because of what someone might think. As a matter of fact, my commitment everywhere is to step out and get people to think and if I can say something or put questions out into the world that accomplish that, then I’ve done my job!

I’ve even gotten my job done on several occasions at the cost of what others might think of me personally, but my commitment is such that what others think of me isn’t what’s important. What is important is that others get what they need to get to make their lives better and hopefully they go on to make a difference for another too!

Admittedly, pigeon-holing can be difficult to avoid; yes, I do it too! Yet, there are a lot of dangers and consequences to pigeon-holing people. If we believe that people are always going to be a certain way, say certain things, or believe a particular way, and we treat them accordingly, we risk clipping their wings so much that they’ll never reach their fullest potential; we risk creating a stop to the difference they are capable of making simply because we choose to listen to them from a place of “knowing” who they are, rather than listening from a place of inquiry and learning.

Now, do I believe that everyone has it in them to be a great public speaker, writer, commentator, builder, publisher, political advocate, teacher, engineer, lawyer, singer, actor, designer, and absolutely anything and everything else you can think of? No, but I do believe everyone should have the chance to be who they want to be, to make a difference where they believe a difference needs to be made, no matter what neat and tidy box we believe they belong in!

If we don’t create the room and listening for new thoughts and ways of being, we and the world as whole miss out on learning something new. And my friends, even as I approach my 72nd birthday I can tell you that I’m not done learning, growing, or teaching! So how about you?