What Did You Learn Today?

Okay, so that conversation with a colleague didn't go exactly as planned;  it was rougher than expected.   And now, in retrospect, you're feeling a little burned. . .maybe a little dismissed. . .

And that presentation - going fine until that person from the fifth floor asked a question that really didn't have any applicability to your subject matter whatsoever.    You stumbled. . .and now you feel a little foolish and a lot of embarrassed.

And the answer your boss gave you!    Very unexpected - kind of threw you for a loop.    Feeling a little off-center. . .

Or instead of feeling dismissed or disrespected or foolish or embarrassed or off-center. . .a more constructive course of action is generated by this. . .what did you learn today?

It is what it is. . .what is done is truly done.   The past can't be changed. . .but our reaction to it can be.  Our reactions are so trained by our personal culture. . .to be angry  or flummoxed or embarrassed is rather built in.    That doesn't mean, however, that our natural reaction cannot be re-trained to be something more positive;   something that moves us forward.

And learning moves us forward.

What did we learn about our approach to that potentially difficult co-worker?     What can we do in presentations to be prepared for the unexpected?   Perhaps we should approach conversations with our boss with less expectations and more open-ness.

Meditating on what went wrong is very different than dwelling on it.     Thoughtfulness on what "went wrong" should instruct us as to what we can do better going forward.

Each day presents new opportunities and challenges.   The commonality is that we can, and should, learn as much as possible. . .each day.

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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders"  is available on Amazon Kindle.