THE WILLINGNESS TO LEARN

 The capacity to learn is a gift;

the ability to learn is a skill;

and the willingness to learn is a choice.”

Brian Herbert

 

Looking back, I can sincerely say this: I have been a kid who behaved well, but performed poorly… Poorly in everything – the academics or the extra-curriculars. To make things worse, I suffered from a chronic inferiority-complex, which was evident in my extremely-low self-confidence… I was so shy, anxious and filled with self-doubts, that I hid from showing up… There were tremors in my body and a thousand fears ruled my mind. Yet, my heart desired, silently, to ‘show up’… ‘Express’ itself.

Thus, when time came, I listened to my heart and let it lead me wherever I was destined to go… Teaching and  writing, to tell you honestly, happened not because I was ‘good at them’, but, because, I wanted to ‘express’ and feel good about myself…

Today, I understand, that this deep feeling within - of feeling good about oneself - is what self-confidence is all about. I, also, understand, that one has to constantly keep this inner light aflame… Perhaps, that’s the reason why I keep ‘expressing’, almost every day, through these Blogs… What else does explain this incessant need within?

Some months ago, when Ajay’s parents came to enroll him for his eleventh-standard (Accountancy), they honestly said, “Sir, our son is a slow-learner with learning disabilities. His track record shows, that if he likes the teacher, he will stick; else, he will quit. So, if you are okay with it, let him come to you for a week or so, and we will enroll him fully post that.”

It’s over two months, now. Ajay has ‘stuck’ to me. His parent have ‘fully enrolled’ him… Yes, he is slow in many respects. His mother brings him on her scooty every morning at 9, while he goes back on his own; he, also, goes to his college on his own. “Ajay, why can’t you come to classes, too, on your own. Your mother can have some rest, you see,” I have been prodding him for days. But, mother’s scooty still drops him, sharp at 9.

Ajay’s younger brother, who is in standard 6, leaves for his school before 6.30 a.m., every day. The mother doesn’t have to be after the little fellow, nor the parents have to help in doing his homework. But, Ajay and his little brother are blooming in their own gardens. No matter how much a teacher like me tries to ‘push’ these kids to bloom just the way the other flowers do, it won’t happen…

Every flower blooms at its own time, in its own garden, you see!

And, let me be honest here… Even though I had wished my teachers to know this truth and show more patience with me, through all these teaching years, I myself have failed to know this truth and acted a lot impatiently, often. I think, this guilt will keep me grounded, a lot human.

 

Rekha, who had learn’t under me over four decades ago, keeps reminding me, that I was a fine teacher and she still gets to learn from me. While these thoughts empower me more and more to keep doing what I love doing, they, also, remind me about the impatience I have been showing, often, with the flowers that bloom late in life.

Rekha sent this beautiful video (Dr. Wayne Dyer), two days ago…

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic's.: Pixabay

 

Video: Dr. Wayne Dyer