Essential Guidelines for Learning
Welcome to my blog. In case you are wondering why you should read this, it’s because I’m an executive coach that helps others live freely and fully alive through the art of coaching.
My drive to add value to others as a leader and coach is often rewarded. However, as a coach of human potential - I make a very average Sunday school substitute teacher.
Take for example the lesson I’m sharing with the high school students at my local fellowship. We will cover, who God is and who we are - all through the lens of creation in the book of Genesis.
While I tend to think that knowing God’s story behind our “why” is really important. I also feel the pressure of so many generations who may have gotten this wrong and screwed young people’s impressions of God up.
Being a substitute Sunday school teacher feels like a big deal.
If you know anything about coaching as a profession my call is not to tell people how to think. The call of coaching is inquiry-based and rooted in the firm belief that everyone has unlimited potential within.
Which begs the question of how it got there.
As I wrestled with what I hope my impact would be I came up with some useful ground rules.
Three Essential Learning Guidelines for Discovery:
Be curious. It’s important to read, study and share with a beginner’s mind. When we lock in our ideas we lose much in the relevancy and meaning of what is being said.
Be grace connected. Discover the ways in which grace has intersected the stories of other people and ourselves. We are all connected and benefit by grace - divine or otherwise.
Be positive. In order to not make the same mistakes of centuries past set down your inner judgments and assume positive intent. When you can see what’s right in others their potential has the best chance of showing up.
These guidelines work well in Sunday school and in all of life. If we remain curious and learn, connected to each other through grace, and keep positive when the world wants us to despair - you’ll be in a better position to succeed in learning and growing into your fullest potential.
What would you add to this list of essential learning guidelines?