Life 101
Posted by Pat on September 11, 2012 in Uncategorized | ∞
Here’s one of my favorite stories:
Little Emma is 6 years old and in first grade and it’s the end of the first week. When 
Mom picked her up from school, Emma bounced happily into the car. “How was school today, honey?” Immediately and very happily, Emma answered: “I had my first test today!” “How’d you do?” And without hesitation, she shouted “I got 30%!”
Mom picked her up from school, Emma bounced happily into the car. “How was school today, honey?” Immediately and very happily, Emma answered: “I had my first test today!” “How’d you do?” And without hesitation, she shouted “I got 30%!”
Oh my god…how hard can first grade be? Wouldn’t they make it really possible to succeed on your first test?
And Mom almost said, “Oh, honey, you must feel terrible” but said with divine guidance, “How did that make you feel?”
“I GOT SOME RIGHT!” she shouted.
What a great way to see the world. I’m not suggesting we should shoot for 30%, but as we move on our journey, we too get some right and some wrong. Let’s celebrate them both!
After all, we’re all enrolled in Life 101 and it isn’t the grade we earn that’s so important, but rather that we learn what we can while we’re enrolled!
Mitch Albolm has a new book out titled “Time Keeper,” a compelling fable about the man who became Father Time. In it he shares his thoughts on what we should be focused on rather than just the time we have or don’t have left, on why we are here and how important it is to use our time/life to its fullest.
So what’s Life 101 for each of us?
It’s all the choices, the decisions, the steps we take from moment to moment, day to day, year to year.
The verbs we live-that is, the actions we take-create the landscape of our lives.
Sometimes there seems to be no clear path.
And other times we are following a winding yellow brick road through the 
scary forest or through the mind-numbing poppy fields on the way through the land of Oz.
scary forest or through the mind-numbing poppy fields on the way through the land of Oz. And yet, from the higher perspective of our hot air balloon (or in the opportunity that hindsight provides!) we can see the edge of the forest, the edge of the field, and the entrance to the Emerald City.
And like the hike through any landscape, the process is messy while we’re in it, and there is just no way we can see a clear path, until we’re finished.
So it’s okay to be lost.
It’s okay to be lost and not know-because that’s what learning is, that’s what life is. Whether we’re an Emma in first grade or a bewildered adult, life is all about the learning.
Why are we here? Because we have
- lessons to learn
- choices to make
- skills to master
- time to spend
- joy to experience!
And since no one is responsible for grading us/judging us, we can take a deep breath, give thanks for being alive and just play/work/grow/live/love/give/…!
What are you doing with this opportunity? What gift do you want to give to the world? your community? your family? yourself?
Picking one to focus on right now is smarter than feeling overwhelming by trying to do a bunch right now.
Eating that “elephant” can be done only one bite at a time. And where you start (trunk? tail? leg? side?) is up to you! Share your choice with us in the comment section below.