“You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself.” — Galileo
Have you noticed that the harder you try with some individuals, by imparting suggestions, guidance, opinion or directives . . . even if they asked for it, they look at you as if you had three heads or arrived from a parallel universe? It doesn’t make any difference if it’s your spouse, member of the family, distant relative, close friend or an acquaintance. The results seem to be comparatively similar. As an educator, I was in the unique position to teach several subjects over many years to different age levels. At the time, I didn’t fully appreciate how invaluable this was for my personal introspective growth . . . as I found my students instinctively attuned to the acceptance of discovery within themselves. It appeared that my students experienced what Steve Jobs always knew . . . “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”
We all know that the individual absorbs knowledge, information and experiences learning uniquely at a different pace. No two people master learning in the same way. It was the ultimate elation as an educator to witness how each child assimilated the process of learning, and in turn how the other members in the class were part of that magical moment. It was as if time stopped, and we all felt the unbridled joy in that instant. In Science of Mind there’s a poignant passage that states . . . “He taught me that attention and intention determine results — that consciousness precedes experience.”
It has been many years since I had the privilege of standing before a group of young people in a classroom, engaging in the give and take of the learning process for all of us. When I was embroiled in the day to day events of teaching, I didn’t appreciate how much I was being given through this exceptional experience . . . that came much later, in reflection. Today I am profoundly humbled at the inordinate opportunity I was given, to share a portion of my life with those young people that would take their place in society giving back to their families, friends, loved ones, colleagues, associates, and perhaps remember the miracle of learning . . . awakening to their personal conscious choice of will for the first time. It was a time of challenge, opportunity, revelation, discovery, creativity and profound acceptance for me, as I now better understand the words of Pema Chodron, with a great deal of 20/20 hindsight and profound gratitude . . . “Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.” JLR