Guest Post at Joyful Jubilant Learning Today
Howdy, Bubba! Hey, if you're new around these parts, I just want to say how much I appreciate you dropping by! Oh, and you may want to subscribe to my feed. Thanks, and a tip o' the hat to ya!
Howdy, y’all! Wow, am I excited!
Hey, take a trip with me today to the beautiful island of Hawaii in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where I have the honor of joining Rosa Say’s fascinating and diverse Ho’ohana community over at Joyful Jubilant Learning!
(To be honest, I’m not exactly sure what Ho’ohana means in Hawaiian, but if you said it in some places in Texas they’ll probably think you’re tellin’ ‘em to do the hootchie-kootchie and shake it all about. But I digress.)
I’m tellin’ ya folks; I’m exhausted! And it’s not because I’m tired from, you know, flapping my arms for so long. (C’mon, admit it - you were thinkin’ it, weren’t you?)
No, silly, it’s because while normal posts here at the Zone tend to be around 1,000 words long (although lately I must admit to having a tendency to, you know, wax a tad eloquent), er, the thing is, once I started writing this one it just kept on going like the Eveready Bunny.
Anyhoo -
As you know, here at the Middle Zone the main thing is lessons learned from life. But I got to thinking (which is probably that noise you’ve been hearing)… Is it possible to learn lessons from pretty much anything? This question was closely followed by its corollary: If so, then how do you do it?
I warned Rosa a while back about the growing size of the article, but she just replied with words to the effect, “Let it be as long as it needs to be.” So I did! Almost 3,000 words later, I’m pleased to present: How to Learn Something From Anything.
As a teaser, here’s the introduction:
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Have you ever had something happen (it could be something trivial or traumatic; doesn’t matter which), only to have some wisenheimer mosey up to you afterwards and casually ask, “OK, so what did you just learn from that?”
Then, after the initial urge passes to, you know, smack ‘em, you suddenly realize the awful truth: you can’t think of a single blessed thing you learned!
Don’cha hate it when that happens? I know I do!
But what does it mean? Do you get the nagging feeling that you missed something important? Was there nothing to be learned? Even worse; does it mean you’re (sound of terrified scream) unteachable?
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Anyway, I explore some techniques that, if utilized, will really go a long way to helping you learn something from pretty much anything. Pop on over and let me know what you think.
Oh yeah - Just in case, I’ve got the fireplace mantle cleared off for when the Nobel Committee calls. (… uh, is this thing on?)
You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!
4 responses so far
Middle Zone Musings is a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. I don't ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Have a seat, take a load off, and relax...
Robert,
Regarding your invitation to “take a trip to the beautiful island of Hawaii,” - provided the trip is all expenses paid, count me in!
Provided we adopt an open mind, I think we can learn lessons from just about any life situation. I recently had a key life experience from which I learned a vital lesson. I was in Cheongju, a mid size city in central South Korea, and I passed by a Dunkin Doughnuts store.
After great deliberation, I decided that it was not necessary for me to actually go in to the store. So, with great reluctance and a great deal of willpower, I proceeded to walk past the store without actually purchasing a doghnut.
My initial feeling was one of exhilaration. If I can do this - I can do anything!
However, within thirty minutes, my craving had become unbearable. Worse, I was now on a bus and could not obtain relief.
The lesson I learned was this: I should never, at any stage, attempt to pass a Dunkin Doughnuts store without either satisfying immediate cravings or stocking up in case of future cravings.
Cheers
Andrew
Andrews last blog post..Corporate Social Responsibility part 5: The case for community business partnerships
Hey, no problem, Andrew. Just let me get out my virtual wallet and buy you a virtual ticket… Or you can always visit my recent series on our Hawaiian Honeymoon.
Key life experience indeed, my friend. The body knows; always trust it. I had a similar experience in Taiwan, except it was Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Robert, the Ho‘o part of Ho‘ohana turns ‘hana’ (meaning ‘work’ as the noun) into a value-packed verb: To Ho‘ohana is to work with purpose, passion, and full intention. And darling, you worked it good with that article; it was a Ho‘ohana hum-zinger on your passion for learning.
JJL may never be the same again, as we have entered into the Middle Zone of Robert Hruzek’s Ho‘ohana Hoedown. Welcome to the Ho‘ohana Community my friend (and thoroughly entertaining writer), you definitely belong to our hula-ing herd.
Rosa Says last blog post..Those Who Can, Manage. Those Who Can’t, Do
You’re so kind with your words, Rosa! So happy to have finally managed a contribution to the wonderful Ho’ohana Hoedown and received my license to practice the hula! Hopefully it won’t be so long ’til I can contribute again.
Thanks for the invitation!