Unlearn with Purpose

We live within our boundaries. Some are created for us, like where and when we were born. Some we create for ourselves through actions and choices. And some we learn as we go along. We develop a point of view, values and beliefs through our ecosystem...the connections we make and the culture we choose to live in. And through these experiences we become biased. Sometimes, to our detriment. We tell ourselves stories about being the victim of circumstances, about how it's not for us and that it's too hard. We become prisoners of what we believe.

Learning through a flow of forward thinking helps us resolve some of this. We discover new paths along the way. And part of learning is unlearning, releasing our beliefs and sometimes our ideals in favor of something better, something provable, something more true for us now than a minute ago. Learning is a posture, which leads to a skill. So is unlearning. Actively keeping an open mind, which leads to a new possibility.

What can we renounce in favor of possibility? How can it help make things better?

HT to my friend Geo

What Will You Teach?

There’s an abundance of teaching the hard skills…calculus, spreadsheets, present value analysis, vocabulary, coding and so on. On the flip side there’s not nearly enough effort put into the essential skills of leading, engagement, empathy, collaboration, persuasion, generosity, kindness and respect.

Successful people have mastered the people skills as well as the technical ones. In the world of ever increasing connectivity, the separator, the reason they are so effective as leaders of change is due to their competency in working with other people, their ability to engage, persuade and connect. It’s no longer just because they have the highest engineering IQ.

Everyone is a teacher at some point. What will you choose to teach? And most importantly, what do you need to learn to teach it?