Life's lessons....

With this thing they call 'growing', whether that be up or just personal growth there has been one thing I have learned. With each person I come in contact with, I have the desire to learn something from them. To see, understand, comprehend how they are. Whether that be there life experiences, morals, ethics, perspective, technical skill, academia, or whatever, it is different in some portion from my own. We each have our own identity in this world and each one has its own quirks that make it worth seeing. Whether it be a child teaching an adult, an adult teaching a child or whatever the case may be.

Two weeks ago the Geoscience Club helped with the Boy Scouts Klondike Derby in Osborne. There are times in my life that the meaning of why I was directed into a situation comes completely clear instantly. Other times the meaning may take a bit longer to appear and then there are times that the meaning doesn't appear for some time. No matter when the meaning appears, it's always worth the lesson. There are times I wish I didn't have to experience a situation to learn the lesson, but I'm sure that's because I can be bullheaded and don't want to see some things at times.

The very instant the festivities started at the Klondike Derby started I realized why I was there. I was not there to lead, I was there to follow. Our objective was to lead the troops around to their different stations with GPS units. What happened was those boys showed me something that needed to be re cemented into my mind. Those boys taught me that I needed to be giving more...

I had a blast that day. I was simply amazed at how well those young men worked together. Now granted, they ranged from 9 to 13 and they were pulling a hand-built sled through 2-3 inches of mud. They varied in size, structurally speaking, but not in heart. Even the littlest one in the group had heart.

It was not the most ideal weather for the event. For starters there was all the mud, the weather was cold and windy, and they had less people in their group than any other troop. But those young men overcame the adverse conditions and simple amazed me. They were well prepared! Logistically, mentally, and they knew their skills forwards and backwards!!

In a nutshell, what they taught me that day is how simple life really is. They were very polite and respectful. They taught me that when we think we are going to teach some one something, in all reality we end up learning from them.

My point being that when we go into a situation thinking that we are dominant in any means to the other, we are actually the lessor of the two. When we presumptively go in with that dominant mindset we are going to loose sight of what can really be learned. We as humans can learn so much. We can learn from our surroundings in so many ways. From the ecology to the people that surround us.

So my piece of advice is never let your mind close. Never forget that we can all teach those that are willing to learn, yet never let yourself not be willing to learn from others. We all have so much to offer one another, let us share our wisdom and be willing to accept the wisdom of others. Age does not mean you are always smarter than those younger than you. Age in fact, hinders our ability to open our minds to relearning the important lessons in life. We get caught up in thoughts that can be very petty in nature. Keep your thoughts simple, your heart as pure as possible and your mind clear.

May peace fill all of your hearts, and clarity fill your mind......

Hope you're all smiling when the Sun shines.