The Heroes Who Live and Learn

The expression “live and learn” is familiar to most, yet many do not understand the opportunities found within its meaning. Paraphrasing M. Scott Peck: life is difficult and we are here to learn from life’s lessons. Too many people hold on to fear and make life more difficult than needed, there are heroes that take full advantage of learning while living.

These heroes willingly go outside of their comfort zones to periodically confront their outlooks on life, beliefs, professions, relationships, and knowledge. They are willing to challenge that which they consider sacred and etched in stone. They do not fear lifting their shades to rethink their realities and escape the voices and influences around them that may prevent them from breaking out of their comfort zone.

Yet, to grow and strive towards wholeness, one must first take that first of many steps into the unknown. They are willing to be surprised with what life throws at them and prepared to learn the lessons. When we were children, we were willing to experience this as we learned to crawl then walk then run. Our first steps usually resulting in small successes followed by a fall, yet we got back up, took a few more steps, fell, and got up repeatedly. This was quite natural and the more steps we took, the faster we walked until we were running.

As adults, we have developed a fear we didn’t have as children, yet the heroes remember the lessons that falling is part of the process. They ignored their egos whose inclination was to label these falls as failures rather than see them as successes towards a goal. They realized that to call something a failure, it meant that they were adding an interpretation and they would be comparing themselves to others and that would stop them in their tracks. Heroes of live and learn are wise and do not fall into that mental trap.

This unusual group also realizes that they have little control over life and the universe. Instead, they strive to grow who they are and realize that life can often come straight at them and at inconvenient times. They have learned not to take it personally: it is not what happens but how they handle the crisis. Along their path, the heroes pass victims on the side of the road – those who defeat themselves and a resort to the language of labeling themselves as failures or accepting “that is who I am.”

I have a client who makes it a point each quarter to objectively reads a book that has the opposite viewpoint of his political or social thinking or studying religions other than his own. He has gone through some terrible experiences in life, yet he has emerged with a greater understanding of empathy for others and a willingness to serve and grow and take more steps. He refuses to interpret events through a small lens that may lead to drama and discord; he chooses to see opportunities to learn and continue to grow.

Life is difficult, but it is our choice how we handle its surprises. Heroes do not hold onto fear, they do not make life more difficult, and they learn from living. In my lifetime, I have only met a few heroes of living and learning. It takes courage to walk along this path so when you see them, instead of embracing your insecurities, enroll in their possibilities by participating in their greater cause. If you can do this, you might just become a living and learning hero.

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