Some of my best life lessons have occurred from the dusty cab of a feed truck on a freezing cold December day. There are few things like the bonding that occurs while bouncing down dirt roads to feed and count cows. There is truly nothing else to do but observe nature and visit. If you’re lucky enough to have a dad or brothers like mine, this is a wonderful opportunity to visit.
Friends, there are opportunities all around us to learn from each other. We just have to be open to them. We tend to overcomplicate most things in our lives. We think we have to read books, listen to podcasts, attend lectures, etc to learn new things but truly, we can learn something everyday if we are willing.
Some of our greatest lessons come through interactions with other people. The person that hands you your morning coffee is a human being, treat them as such. Treat them with the same love and kindness that you would a family member and watch how your circle expands and changes.
Most of us will rise to the level we are treated. The opposite is true, we will shrink if we are made to believe we are less than. Consider the last interaction you had a retail store or drive through, was it pleasant? What made it so? We are more affected by the people around us than we care to admit. One lousy interaction with someone will usually make us feel lousy also.
The moral of this story? There are opportunities to learn and grow all around us. Don’t discount the dusty pickup cab lessons or over appreciate the lecture hall lessons. They are both valuable. A person does not have to be an expert in their field to have something to offer you. We are all experts in some area. Seek out lessons daily, ask people to share their wisdom with you. The more we share, the more we grow.
