Brain Food #578
Learn all your life
Thoughts of the day
Good morning, and happy Monday.
I recently came across John W. Gardner’s speech on personal renewal, delivered to McKinsey & Co. in 1990, but thankfully available for everyone to read. Although given to an audience whose main purpose was creating the success of companies, Gardner instead focused on what it takes to be a successful human being: a commitment to endless learning (even if, and especially when, it looks like one has reached the end of the road), while constantly embracing change within ourselves and others.
A standout excerpt to start your week, although the entire speech is worth reading for those of you who have some more time to spare.
Learn all your life. Learn from your failures. Learn from your successes, When you hit a spell of trouble, ask “What is it trying to teach me?” The lessons aren’t always happy ones, but they keep coming. It isn’t a bad idea to pause occasionally for an inward look. By midlife, most of us are accomplished fugitives from ourselves.
We learn from our jobs, from our friends and families. We learn by accepting the commitments of life, by playing the roles that life hands us (not necessarily the roles we would have chosen). We learn by growing older, by suffering, by loving, by bearing with the things we can’t change, by taking risks.
The things you learn in maturity aren’t simple things such as acquiring information and skills. You learn not to engage in self-destructive behavior. You learn not to burn up energy in anxiety. You discover how to manage your tensions, if you have any, which you do. You learn that self-pity and resentment are among the most toxic of drugs. You find that the world loves talent, but pays off on character.
You come to understand that most people are neither for you nor against you, they are thinking about themselves. You learn that no matter how hard you try to please, some people in this world are not going to love you, a lesson that is at first troubling and then really quite relaxing.
There is inspiration to be found not just in his words, but also in the generosity with which he shares his life lessons with strangers, something we can all begin to do today, even if we start at home.
In other news, watching the Golden Globes highlights this morning was not only a somewhat painful recap of the year 2020 has been, but also a reminder that even the celebrities we choose to admire or envy will suffer from everyday problems such as poor internet connectivity, and leaving themselves on mute during important speeches. Technology can be the great equaliser.
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