Life long learning” I love the alliteration of the words. Say them slowly. Life long learning… Thank you, Rosa for this wonderful opportunity to share my two cents with the Ho‘ohana Community.

I consider each day a success when I have learned something new. There are some days that the enlightenment comes early and often, and then there are some days that it comes late. Why are some days better for learning than others? I’d like to share what I think are the keys for this learning. These ideas may resonate with you, or they may not. I am interested in your response either way.

I think that openness or readiness is the first step to learning. My wife teaches kindergarten and comes home frequently with stories of her little friends’ daily exploits in her classroom. One year she had two students born on the same day but one year apart. Unusual, yes, but while each was physically different and each at a different state of readiness that September, when you looked at their portfolio in June you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. The journey was different, the result was ultimately similar. Now while the kindergartners themselves have little choice in determining their readiness to learn, that is not the case when we are adults.

The alarm goes off in the morning. We get up, get ready and hopefully get a chance to do what we do best. It is our choice to make it a good day, or a great day! It is our choice to be open to what is happening around us. It is our choice to stop and smell the roses. I think that recognition is the second key. Noticing that the rose is so red this morning. That the dew catches the sunlight just so. You wish you had brought your camera along.

Making connections is the third key for me to life long learning. It is an exceptional individual who will truly discover something new. The Newtons, DaVincis, Einsteins are far and few between. However, much progress is also made by those who take the little steps. All of us can take little steps. We can make the connection that one and one can be more than two and go for it.

Another way to explain this is to draw the parallel to the game of Bingo. You have a card. It is your card. Somewhat unique in its combination of numbers and letters. Just like you are uniquely You. Different from everyone else in some special way. Bingo also has a “caller”. He, or she, calls out the letter and number combinations. You are sitting at the table amongst friends, talking, and trying to pay attention. Your number gets called and you mark your card. The conversation continues, letters and numbers get called, eventually your card gets filled and you yell Bingo!

This card is just like your life. Your qualities, talents are stamped on the card. You go about your business and find some numbers match your card. You are open, recognize some opportunities, pursue them, and things happen. Doors open, doors close. The road goes on. Be open and ready for what life prepares for you. Recognize opportunities when they arise. Make the connections. Make it a great day!

Postcript by Rosa: Our Guest Author today is Steve Sherlock, the author of the Passion for the Good Customer Experience blog. Steve is also one of my co-authors on The blog Synergy, a new collaborative effort in blogging; that is where you will always find your link to Steve in the right column Ho‘ohana Online Community Listing. Click in: the last time I checked, Steve was writing for 5 different blogs!