Essence of education
In a discussion with a seasoned educator, who passionately taught design thinking through arts, I learned that the focus of teaching is not on the subject but on the student who is becoming someone in the process of learning the subject. It reminded me of my Math teacher who took an interest in how we thought about a problem rather than finding the right answer. She tried to evolve us into a better problem solver than to ace in mathematics. Good teachers have never been keen to push their knowledge into students’ heads but rather help the students discover themselves through the process of learning the subject.
“If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.” – Khalil Gibran
When to quit a job
It is hard to decide when to quit one’s job. It is much harder when you know it is time to leave the place yet you are unsure of it. Considerable time is wasted in ruminating for the following three reasons
(1) Hoping that the situation or environment will get better on its own.
(2) Worrying you do not know where you will land next.
(3) Consoling that the peripherals like insurance or flexibility still make sense even if the job doesn’t add value to you.
It is important to have the right reasons to stay in a job. It is important to ask yourself the right questions when you want to quit a job.
“If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with another hello” — Paulo Coelho
Safe experiments
In my coaching engagements, I encourage my clients to conduct safe experiments. Safe experiments are small changes in one’s ways of thinking, being, or doing, which the client initiates that have negligible or no consequence upon failure. For instance, it could mean initiating an informal conversation with someone or challenging their assumptions by observing and gathering evidence. Clients often start such experiments with mild skepticism. As they progress they uncover and address their internal fears which helps them to move ahead. Most importantly, they realize their own resilience when things don’t work out as they should.
“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson