Are you teachable?
I am part of a mom's bible study through our local church. Don't worry, this isn't a religious post so if that isn't your thing keep reading. Let me be completely honest, I've been a part of this group for about four years now and I *almost* didn't join this session because I just wasn't feeling it. It seemed like too much fluff and not enough meat. I didn't feel connected to any of the woman at the table and the content too superficial. I was there to learn and grow, not to socialize and get "mom" tips. And the weekly potlucks certainly weren't helping me feel confident in a bikini. But, I joined anyway. The kids like going and it means 2.5 hours of kid-free time in my week which is a huge blessing right there. When I saw the book I was not impressed, its pretty but thin and has an almost cartoon drawing on the cover and I thought there was no way this silly little guide is going to improve me as a person. Ha! What's the saying about not judging a book by the cover? I'm loving the study, I'm so grateful to be there, I'm learning a lot and I'm connecting with the other ladies. Win.
So why am I writing this blog post? Well, this past session the topic was three gifts the speaker would like to give to every mom. I'd like to open that up to three gifts that every person needs. They are:
1. A teachable spirit
2. A thankful heart
3. An eternal perspective
The focus of the study is how these things can help you in your parenting but I kept thinking about our business. These three gifts can be a game changer for us all.
Today I want to talk about the first one, a teachable spirit.
Are you teachable? Are you willing to learn from others and do you have someone to learn from? Do you have a mentor? If not, I highly recommend you get one. Reach out to me - I can help. If you do, are you truly hearing what your mentor is telling you and putting that advice into action? I have an amazing mentor and I always look forward to talking with him. But sometimes, I'm so excited to speak that I fill up the whole call with my words instead of shutting my mouth and learning from him. I can't learn with my mouth open so I just wasted both of our times.
Are you learning from the greats authors? There are so many! Jump on Amazon and search network marketing or motivation or self-development and you will be impressed with the results. I highly recommend anything by John C. Maxwell, Jim Rohn, Bob Proctor or Napoleon Hill. If you aren't a reader, listen to them while you are driving - you'll learn just the same and that will allow you to use some of your down time productively.
If you aren't teachable - what do you think is holding you back? Do you think you already know everything it takes for you to be successful? Are you "faking it until you make it" and pretending that you already have the answers therefore blocking yourself from learning? Are you too busy comparing yourself with others to really listen to what they have to say and they ways they can help you?
Being teachable will allow you to be more secure and it will remove your insecurities. When you realize that you don't have all the answers but that they may be found in other sources there is great comfort in that. When you let down your defenses and get real with yourself and with others you will find confidence and power. And the more you learn, the more you can challenge yourself to do bigger and better things. I use the saying "Be More" a lot and having a teachable spirit allows us all to do just that.
I hope this added value to your day and I look forward to learning with you in the future.
