Teachable

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new opportunity begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast! :)

This morning I want to add a few tools to our toolboxes. Some are perhaps a perspective shift or, dare I say, an attitude adjustment, while others are tangible tools. Regardless, I hope you are as blessed by these tools as I have been this week thinking about, studying and applying them.

I am currently reading Leader Shift: The 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace, by John C. Maxwell. I have no idea how that book jumped into my bag during my last business trip! :) (The truth is, I bought it however I am trying to stay out of trouble with my Beautiful Bride...shhhhh!)

Earlier this week I read a section about having a teachable spirit. When I went to search quotes about having a teachable spirit, I as amazed at how almost every single one of them spoke of humility. Without a humble heart, a humble spirit, it is nearly impossible to have a teachable spirit. As I once asked someone I love deeply, "If you already know everything, how do you learn anything?"

In my life I have found that we can literally learn something from everyone. The key however is to truly value people and have a willingness to learn. If I look down upon people, if I don't see value, meaning & purpose in their lives, I have not positioned myself to learn. If I always have to be the smartest person in the room - when you see these people you will know it! - I have left no space to learn. And both tie back to that word...humility! :)

I want to first share an excerpt from Leader Shift and a few tools to develop a teachable spirit.

"Growth begins with having a teachable spirit. What does that entail? It means having a passion to learn, possessing the intention to learn every day, reflecting on what you learn so that you know how to apply it. It's a bit like gardening. A garden doesn't spring to life on its own. It requires planning, hard work, and the right environment. A gardener must do the work: prepare the soil, plant the seeds, water the plants, then feed, mulch, and weed. It's an intentional process, and it must occur every day."

Let's be great gardeners! Let's be intentional! And, let's do it every day! :)

John then offers ideas on how to cultivate a growth environment and maintain a teachable spirit.

• I MAKE GROWTH MY NUMBER-ONE PRIORITY. I am conscious of my need to learn 24/7 because a day without growth is not a good day for me.
• I LOOK FOR GROWTH POSSIBILITIES IN EVERY SITUATION. No matter what I'm doing, whether succeeding or failing, opportunities to grow are there. The question is, do I see it and take advantage of it?
• I ASK QUESTIONS THAT WILL HELP ME GROW. Growth doesn't find me. I must find it. The fastest way to find out what I don't know is to ask questions. The best way to dig deeper and learn more is to ask questions. Are you getting the picture?
• I FILE WHAT I HAVE LEARNED. People forget a lot of what they learn. If they want to recall it, they can't. Or they can't find it. When I find articles of value, I clip them and put them in folders by subject. When I find quotes I like, I add them to index cards filed by topic. I file what I learn so that I can always regain access to it quickly.
• I PASS WHAT I LEARN ON TO OTHERS. Sharing something I learn reinforces growth and prompts me to make it my own. It also allows me to help others.

I hope those tools are helpful to you. Please remember, we must be intentional and we must do it every day! :)

After learning something, I like to go first to scripture and see what the Bible has to say. Here are a few scriptures for you:

"Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored." - Proverbs 13:18

"Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning." - Proverbs 9:9

"Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice." - Ecclesiastes 4:13

"Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future." - Proverbs 19:20

And this was in my Bible reading this morning...

"He replied, 'Yes, but even more blessed are all who hear the Word of God and put it into practice.'" - Luke 11:28

And then finally, after studying scripture, I like to look for quotes...things that will make me think about the topic and perhaps shift, or enhance, my perspective. Here are a few for you:

"Be willing to be a beginner every single morning." - Meister Eckhart

"Just be silent, humble and teachable. If you ever think you know it all, that is the beginning of your troubles." - Israelmore Ayivor

"Discipline and diligence are up there on the list, but one of the most important qualities of many really successful people is humility. If you have a degree of humility about you, you have the ability to take advice, to be coachable, teachable. A humble person never stops learning." - Todd Blackledge

"To be humble is to be teachable." - Richard G. Scott

"Be teachable. That is the whole secret." - Vernon Howard

So, my dear Sweet Friends, if you already know everything, how are you going to learn anything? I pray that we will all have humble, teachable spirits and that we will intentionally strive to learn every day! :)

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families!

Kev